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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. press — a publisher
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. row — to paddle
  11. lie — to recline
  12. press — to push
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — in music
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. lean — thin
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — low music
  24. row — a line

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