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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. press — to push
  3. plane — a tool
  4. object — an aim
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a match
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. board — to get on
  16. object — to protest
  17. press — newspapers
  18. rush — hurry
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. press — a publisher
  22. board — a committee
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. object — a thing

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