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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pit — a hole
  7. sharp — clever
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. press — newspapers
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. saw — the tool
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. press — a publisher
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. pit — in a race
  22. press — to push
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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