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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. press — a publisher
  5. ball — a great time
  6. press — to push
  7. row — a line
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. row — to paddle
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. ball — a dance
  13. press — newspapers
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — a trace
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. court — of law
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of a king
  24. mark — to pay attention

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