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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — a publisher
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pit — a hole
  21. press — to push
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. nail — for a hammer

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