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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. dip — to sink
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. pit — a hole
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bank — for money
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bank — of a river
  11. pit — in a race
  12. press — newspapers
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bank — for money
  15. field — farmland
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a committee
  18. field — a subject
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. field — for sport
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. press — a publisher

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