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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. mark — a grade
  3. press — newspapers
  4. rash — hasty
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. race — a contest
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. press — to push
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. mark — a trace
  12. row — to paddle
  13. rash — a series
  14. ball — a great time
  15. press — a publisher
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. row — a line
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. race — the arms race
  21. ball — a dance
  22. race — humankind
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. ball — a round shape

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