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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. press — newspapers
  5. cell — in biology
  6. ball — a dance
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. shower — to wash
  10. press — to push
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. charge — a price
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. charge — electricity
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. shower — rain
  20. ball — a great time
  21. press — a publisher
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. charge — in control
  24. sharp — with an edge

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