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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. press — newspapers
  3. content — the amount
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — clever
  6. press — a publisher
  7. pop — soda
  8. kick — in football
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — music
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. stem — to come from
  20. content — happy
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bank — of a river
  23. kick — with a leg
  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