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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 120 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. press — a publisher
  3. field — for sport
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bulb — for light
  8. saw — the tool
  9. sharp — clever
  10. face — part of the head
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. press — newspapers
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. field — a subject
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bulb — for light
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. face — to point toward
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. face — to confront
  23. field — farmland
  24. press — to push

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