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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. rush — hurry
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. press — newspapers
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — to bend
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bore — to tire
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. lean — thin
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — to push
  20. bore — to drill
  21. mine — for digging
  22. plane — a tool
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. plane — in geometry

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