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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. press — to push
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. object — a thing
  7. press — newspapers
  8. object — an aim
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bound — obliged
  11. cell — in biology
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — certain
  15. band — a music group
  16. object — to protest
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. band — a ring
  19. press — a publisher
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. swing — in golf
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — music
  24. cell — a phone

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