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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. press — a publisher
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. saw — the tool
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. game — wild animals
  7. present — there
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. press — newspapers
  10. firm — steady
  11. saw — the tool
  12. present — a gift
  13. degree — temperature
  14. firm — a company
  15. degree — an amount
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. game — a match
  18. degree — from a university
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. press — to push
  23. present — the time now
  24. safe — out of danger

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