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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  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. jam — to spread on bread
  2. press — to push
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. shower — to wash
  6. stand — to bear
  7. shower — rain
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — to protest
  11. land — to come down
  12. press — a publisher
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. press — newspapers
  18. land — ground
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. object — an aim
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. land — a country
  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