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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 120 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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. stand — to bear
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. press — a publisher
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. press — to push
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. wind — moving air
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fall — the season
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fall — to drop
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. press — newspapers
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. fall — to drop

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