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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a line of people
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. file — a document
  11. press — a publisher
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — to get on
  14. press — to push
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. deal — to handle
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. mark — a trace
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. press — newspapers
  24. lash — to lash out

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