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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — to push
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. mine — for digging
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bat — the animal
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. rule — a law
  20. rule — government
  21. rush — hurry
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. press — a publisher
  24. rush — a thrill

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