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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. fine — all right
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — a publisher
  6. fine — high quality
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. firm — decided
  9. press — to push
  10. file — a document
  11. lean — to bend
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. file — a tool
  14. lean — thin
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. firm — a company
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. firm — steady
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. mine — for digging
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. straw — dry grass

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