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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 124 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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. net — after costs
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. tube — a container
  5. last — finally
  6. net — for catching
  7. press — a publisher
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — the underground
  10. rest — what's left
  11. last — final
  12. press — to push
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. press — newspapers
  16. rest — a break
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. net — in sport
  20. rest — what's left
  21. last — to go on
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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