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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. press — to push
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. spring — the season
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — a lid
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. press — a publisher
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bass — low music
  13. spring — of water
  14. season — of the year
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. spring — a coil
  17. cap — of ice
  18. press — newspapers
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. season — in sport
  24. leaves — of a tree

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