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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. press — newspapers
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. roll — a cake
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. shower — rain
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — to push
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. shower — to wash
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. roll — a list
  16. toast — bread
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. dip — to sink
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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