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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. press — a publisher
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. press — newspapers
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — to drill
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. cold — an illness
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — a trace
  16. foot — a measure
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. cold — not warm
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. press — to push

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