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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. spell — magic
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. press — newspapers
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — a short time
  9. press — to push
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. stand — to bear
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bank — of a river
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bank — for money
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bank — for money
  24. nail — for a hammer

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