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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pop — music
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. press — newspapers
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. wind — moving air
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. press — a publisher
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. press — to push
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fan — a supporter

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