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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — in cards
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. press — a publisher
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. track — to keep track
  10. press — newspapers
  11. track — a song
  12. band — a ring
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. staff — a stick
  15. staff — employees
  16. press — to push
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. suit — clothes
  20. rush — hurry
  21. staff — employees
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. band — a music group
  24. track — a path

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