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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. object — a thing
  3. press — to push
  4. press — newspapers
  5. last — finally
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. kid — child
  8. perch — the fish
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — a short time
  11. object — an aim
  12. row — to paddle
  13. last — final
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. kid — to tease
  16. object — to protest
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. last — to go on
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. spell — letters
  22. row — a line
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. press — a publisher

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