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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. mug — to rob
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. rest — what's left
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. press — to push
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mug — a cup
  23. press — newspapers
  24. mug — a face

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