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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. net — for catching
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. suit — to fit
  5. press — a publisher
  6. kid — child
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bank — for money
  9. kid — to tease
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. press — to push
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. suit — in cards
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bank — for money
  17. net — after costs
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. net — in sport
  21. bank — of a river
  22. press — newspapers
  23. pass — a permit
  24. cabinet — ministers

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