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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. drill — army training
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. wound — an injury
  7. press — a publisher
  8. net — in sport
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — the tool
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rush — hurry
  14. net — for catching
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. net — after costs
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — to push
  24. straw — a straw man

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