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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. face — to point toward
  5. pitch — completely
  6. press — newspapers
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — rain
  10. cue — a hint
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. press — a publisher
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bound — certain
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — obliged
  21. face — to confront
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cabinet — ministers

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