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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 116 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 need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. press — newspapers
  6. ground — crushed
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mate — a partner
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. clip — for paper
  11. mate — a friend
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. clip — to cut
  15. press — to push
  16. net — in sport
  17. clip — a video
  18. press — a publisher
  19. mate — to breed
  20. net — after costs
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — a position
  24. net — for catching

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