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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. deal — to handle
  3. press — to push
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. can — a tin
  6. band — a music group
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. press — a publisher
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. can — a tin
  11. press — newspapers
  12. key — in music
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. race — a contest
  15. race — the arms race
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. race — humankind
  18. band — a ring
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. can — to be able to
  21. key — the most important part
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. key — for a lock

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