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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. press — to push
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bulb — for light
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. snap — to click
  8. staff — a stick
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. press — newspapers
  11. bound — certain
  12. capital — money
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — employees
  15. bulb — for light
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — bread
  19. bound — tied together
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. press — a publisher
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. capital — a city
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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