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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. press — newspapers
  9. lean — thin
  10. press — a publisher
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. sharp — clever
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a city
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. lean — to bend
  19. toast — bread
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. press — to push
  24. toast — the most admired

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