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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. press — newspapers
  3. rush — hurry
  4. pop — music
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pop — to visit
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wind — moving air
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. press — to push
  18. pop — soda
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. press — a publisher
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. snap — to click
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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