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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. fork — in a road
  4. wound — an injury
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. cue — for pool
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. cue — a hint
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. wind — moving air
  14. press — to push
  15. press — newspapers
  16. rock — a stone
  17. wind — moving air
  18. fine — all right
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. cue — a signal
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. rock — music
  24. press — a publisher

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