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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. press — to push
  4. spell — letters
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. roll — a list
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — magic
  14. clip — a video
  15. press — newspapers
  16. roll — a cake
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. foot — a measure
  22. clip — for paper
  23. clip — to cut
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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