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

Word bank: straw · race · bay · press · net · leaves · present · stick

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. press — newspapers
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. net — in sport
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. race — humankind
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. press — a publisher
  13. present — a gift
  14. press — to push
  15. present — there
  16. race — a contest
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. race — the arms race
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — after costs
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. present — the time now
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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