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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. prune — to trim
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. charge — electricity
  6. press — newspapers
  7. charge — a price
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. current — happening now
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. hand — help
  12. current — electric
  13. prune — to trim
  14. press — to push
  15. current — of water
  16. deal — to handle
  17. press — a publisher
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — in cards
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. charge — in control

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