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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. clip — for paper
  3. content — the amount
  4. clip — a video
  5. press — to push
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. content — happy
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bear — the animal
  12. lean — thin
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. wound — an injury
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. press — a publisher
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. wound — an injury
  20. press — newspapers
  21. clip — to cut
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. lean — to bend

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