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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 116 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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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 — newspapers
  3. bat — the animal
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. mine — for digging
  7. press — to push
  8. can — a tin
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. wound — an injury
  13. lean — to bend
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. wound — an injury
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bulb — for light
  19. can — a tin
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. press — a publisher
  24. can — to be able to

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