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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 124 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. tube — the underground
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. press — newspapers
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. pound — a weight
  10. ball — a great time
  11. club — for dancing
  12. press — a publisher
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. tube — a container
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. press — to push
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. staff — employees
  21. club — for golf
  22. ball — a dance
  23. club — a group
  24. ball — a round shape

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