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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 124 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bound — tied together
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bound — certain
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bound — obliged
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — to fit
  18. stand — to bear
  19. scale — in music
  20. press — a publisher
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. scale — size or range
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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