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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. prune — to trim
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a tool
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. prune — to trim
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — to push
  16. file — a document
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. kid — to tease
  20. press — a publisher
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. kid — child
  24. content — happy

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