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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. lean — thin
  3. kid — to tease
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — to push
  9. club — for dancing
  10. kid — child
  11. band — a music group
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. club — a group
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. press — newspapers
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. club — for golf
  24. lean — to rest against

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