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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. race — the arms race
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. press — to push
  7. key — for a lock
  8. press — newspapers
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. press — a publisher
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. pop — soda
  14. race — humankind
  15. key — the most important part
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a skill
  18. pop — to visit
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. key — in music
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pop — music
  24. race — a contest

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