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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. press — to push
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bore — to tire
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. drill — a practice
  13. press — a publisher
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bore — to drill
  17. staff — a stick
  18. press — newspapers
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — army training
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — an eyelash

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