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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mug — to rob
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. net — for catching
  9. mark — a grade
  10. net — after costs
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. press — to push
  13. mug — a face
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. tube — a container
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — newspapers
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. mug — a cup
  23. board — to get on
  24. straw — dry grass

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