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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. current — electric
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. press — newspapers
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. press — to push
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bank — for money
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. press — a publisher
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. current — of water
  15. bank — of a river
  16. current — happening now
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. dip — to sink
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bank — for money
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. straw — dry grass

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com