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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bank — of a river
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. cold — an illness
  6. bank — for money
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. press — to push
  9. press — a publisher
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. rock — a stone
  12. deal — to handle
  13. cold — not warm
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rock — music
  18. rush — hurry
  19. press — newspapers
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. bank — for money
  24. hide — to keep secret

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