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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 120 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. press — newspapers
  4. object — an aim
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. press — to push
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. object — to protest
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. object — a thing
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. press — a publisher
  22. snap — to click
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. arm — part of the body

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