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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. hand — help
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — newspapers
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. hand — in cards
  8. land — to come down
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. land — a country
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — to protest
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. object — a thing
  15. bear — the animal
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bear — the animal
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. press — to push
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. land — ground

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