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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. press — to push
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bound — obliged
  7. mug — to rob
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. band — a music group
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. mug — a face
  17. bound — tied together
  18. mug — a cup
  19. saw — the tool
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — a publisher
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bass — low music
  24. rush — hurry

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