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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. stand — to bear
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. spring — a coil
  7. degree — temperature
  8. press — newspapers
  9. degree — from a university
  10. press — to push
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. degree — an amount
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. press — a publisher
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. rock — a stone
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. rock — music
  20. spring — the season
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. spring — of water
  24. nail — for a hammer

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