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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. fine — all right
  6. press — to push
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cell — in biology
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. pit — a hole
  13. shower — to wash
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bore — to drill
  18. foot — a measure
  19. press — newspapers
  20. cell — a phone
  21. bore — to tire
  22. fine — high quality
  23. press — a publisher
  24. shower — rain

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