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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 116 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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. land — a country
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. land — to come down
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. wake — a trail
  14. face — to confront
  15. land — ground
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. pass — a permit
  21. face — to point toward
  22. press — to push
  23. press — a publisher
  24. face — part of the head

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