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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 120 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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. staff — a stick
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — electricity
  6. stock — goods
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. file — a document
  10. press — to push
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. press — newspapers
  13. file — a line of people
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. staff — employees
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. file — a tool
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. charge — in control
  22. stock — shares
  23. press — a publisher
  24. staff — employees

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