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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — to push
  4. bear — the animal
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. kid — child
  7. deal — to handle
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. hand — in cards
  12. press — a publisher
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. hand — help
  18. degree — an amount
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. degree — temperature
  22. bear — the animal
  23. degree — from a university
  24. hand — 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