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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.

Words on the sheet
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: straw · pass · key · hide · charge · press · lean · clip

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. lean — thin
  3. charge — electricity
  4. key — in music
  5. clip — a video
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. press — newspapers
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. lean — to bend
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. clip — to cut
  15. key — the most important part
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — a price
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pass — a permit
  21. clip — for paper
  22. press — a publisher
  23. key — for a lock
  24. press — to push

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