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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — to push
  7. press — newspapers
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. board — to get on
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stand — to bear
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. board — a committee

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