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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bay · sharp · arm · fall · straw · ruler · squash · press

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. press — to push
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. fall — to drop
  12. press — a publisher
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. sharp — clever
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. squash — the sport
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — a straw man

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