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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. can — a tin
  3. cue — for pool
  4. press — to push
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cue — a signal
  8. can — to be able to
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cell — a phone
  11. ground — crushed
  12. stand — to bear
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. cue — a hint
  17. press — a publisher
  18. ground — the earth
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. press — newspapers
  23. ground — a position
  24. can — a tin

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