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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 116 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. race — a contest
  6. race — the arms race
  7. staff — employees
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. staff — employees
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. key — in music
  13. key — for a lock
  14. press — a publisher
  15. race — humankind
  16. press — newspapers
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. key — the most important part
  23. press — to push
  24. staff — a stick

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