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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. mark — a trace
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. press — to push
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. press — newspapers
  7. kid — to tease
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. press — a publisher
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. kid — child
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. plane — a tool
  16. mark — a grade
  17. swing — to play on
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. swing — music
  20. band — a music group
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. band — a ring
  23. swing — in golf
  24. straw — dry grass

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