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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — to push
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. spell — magic
  12. press — a publisher
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bass — the fish
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. spell — letters
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bass — low music
  23. spell — a short time
  24. scale — in music

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