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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: jam · press · foot · straw · mine · pass · tear · snap

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. tear — to rip
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. foot — a measure
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. press — a publisher
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. press — newspapers
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. snap — to click
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mine — for digging
  20. press — to push
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. straw — dry grass

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