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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've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. press — newspapers
  6. wind — moving air
  7. press — a publisher
  8. wind — moving air
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. roll — a list
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. key — for a lock
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. band — a ring
  17. key — the most important part
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — to tease
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. roll — a cake
  23. key — in music
  24. press — to push

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