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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. press — a publisher
  3. ground — crushed
  4. tear — from crying
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. tear — to rip
  7. firm — decided
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. firm — a company
  10. tear — from crying
  11. content — the amount
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. press — to push
  15. ground — the earth
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. clip — for paper
  19. clip — a video
  20. firm — steady
  21. content — happy
  22. press — newspapers
  23. ground — a position
  24. clip — to cut

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