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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bat · leaves · straw · press · clip · saw · tube · fine

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. clip — for paper
  5. press — newspapers
  6. clip — a video
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. saw — the tool
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. tube — a container
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. fine — high quality
  16. clip — to cut
  17. tube — the underground
  18. fine — all right
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bat — the animal
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — to push
  24. tube — in a tire

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