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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. press — a publisher
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. drill — a practice
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. snap — to click
  7. drill — army training
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. track — a song
  10. drill — the tool
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. press — to push
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. chip — for betting
  16. press — newspapers
  17. track — to keep track
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. chip — to eat
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. track — a path

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