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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. press — newspapers
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. spell — magic
  8. press — a publisher
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. spell — a short time
  11. tube — the underground
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. charge — electricity
  14. stand — to bear
  15. rash — hasty
  16. charge — a price
  17. tube — a container
  18. charge — in control
  19. press — to push
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. spell — letters
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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