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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. press — a publisher
  3. charge — in control
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. press — to push
  7. charge — electricity
  8. staff — employees
  9. branch — a division
  10. hand — in cards
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. press — newspapers
  13. charge — a price
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. hand — help
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — a stone
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. hand — part of the body
  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