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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — thin
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. prune — to trim
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lean — to bend
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. press — to push
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — hurry
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — newspapers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. pitch — completely

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