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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 124 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. press — a publisher
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. kick — in football
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rest — a break
  10. press — newspapers
  11. squash — to crush
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. rest — what's left
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. shower — to wash
  17. press — to push
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. rest — what's left
  21. shower — rain
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. squash — the sport
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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