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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. ball — a great time
  7. pit — in a race
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. ball — a dance
  11. pound — a weight
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — newspapers
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hand — help
  20. pit — a hole
  21. fine — high quality
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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