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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 116 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. rule — a law
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bound — certain
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. chair — a leader
  10. cue — for pool
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bound — obliged
  13. track — a path
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. band — a music group
  16. cue — a signal
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bound — tied together
  19. press — to push
  20. track — a song
  21. rule — government
  22. band — a ring
  23. track — to keep track
  24. cue — a hint

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