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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. foot — a measure
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bound — tied together
  6. press — newspapers
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. spell — letters
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bound — obliged
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. fine — high quality
  14. press — a publisher
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. net — after costs
  17. fine — all right
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. net — for catching
  20. bound — certain
  21. spell — magic
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. spell — a short time
  24. press — to push

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