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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. rash — a series
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. rash — hasty
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. land — a country
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. land — ground
  13. staff — employees
  14. press — to push
  15. staff — employees
  16. press — a publisher
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. staff — a stick
  19. press — newspapers
  20. lean — thin
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mine — for digging

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