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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 120 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. firm — steady
  3. lean — thin
  4. mark — a trace
  5. row — to paddle
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. lean — to bend
  9. press — a publisher
  10. squash — the sport
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. squash — to crush
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — decided
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. mark — a grade
  20. press — to push
  21. press — newspapers
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. temple — a place of worship

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