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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bat — the animal
  3. press — to push
  4. deal — to handle
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. press — a publisher
  8. spell — letters
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ground — the earth
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. ground — crushed
  14. press — newspapers
  15. spell — magic
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. ground — a position
  18. spell — a short time
  19. branch — a division
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bat — in an idiom

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