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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. sharp — clever
  8. mine — for digging
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a lid
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. fork — in a road
  15. press — newspapers
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. toast — bread
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. press — to push
  21. press — a publisher
  22. cap — a hat
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. fork — a garden tool

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