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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 drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bank — for money
  3. press — to push
  4. present — a gift
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mark — a grade
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bank — of a river
  10. press — a publisher
  11. net — for catching
  12. mark — a trace
  13. present — the time now
  14. pass — a permit
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. present — there
  19. net — after costs
  20. bank — for money
  21. net — in sport
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. press — newspapers

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