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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. rush — hurry
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. press — to push
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. press — a publisher
  20. prune — to trim
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. mine — for digging
  24. press — newspapers

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