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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: kid · straw · tube · deal · press · land · pound · object

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. pound — a weight
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — a publisher
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. object — a thing
  11. tube — the underground
  12. press — to push
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. land — ground
  15. kid — child
  16. tube — a container
  17. kid — to tease
  18. deal — to handle
  19. object — an aim
  20. object — to protest
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — a country
  24. deal — an agreement

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