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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. root — the cause
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. hand — help
  6. spell — magic
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. press — newspapers
  9. clip — for paper
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. clip — a video
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — letters
  16. root — of a plant
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. press — a publisher
  21. root — of a word
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. hand — in cards
  24. clip — to cut

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