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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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 — to push
  3. root — of a plant
  4. club — for dancing
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. press — a publisher
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. wax — to grow
  12. hand — help
  13. fall — the season
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. club — for golf
  17. root — the cause
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. press — newspapers
  20. hand — in cards
  21. root — of a word
  22. club — a group
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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