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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 116 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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468
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: pass · press · straw · bat · content · mouse · safe · net

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. net — after costs
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. press — to push
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. press — a publisher
  16. net — for catching
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. content — the amount
  24. content — happy

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