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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. shower — rain
  6. cue — for pool
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — music
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. press — to push
  14. shower — to wash
  15. vault — a safe
  16. club — for golf
  17. cue — a hint
  18. press — newspapers
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. club — for dancing
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. club — a group
  24. cue — a signal

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