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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. hand — in cards
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. hand — help
  8. press — newspapers
  9. file — a document
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. court — for sport
  13. file — a tool
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. court — of law
  17. press — to push
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — of a word
  20. press — a publisher
  21. court — of a king
  22. root — the cause
  23. lie — to recline
  24. file — a line of people

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