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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. swing — music
  4. deal — to handle
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. kid — to tease
  8. press — newspapers
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — to protest
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. craft — boats
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. object — an aim
  16. kid — child
  17. swing — to play on
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. craft — a skill
  20. press — to push
  21. swing — in golf
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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