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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: mate · straw · jam · content · wind · deal · press · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. press — newspapers
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wind — moving air
  6. content — happy
  7. mate — a partner
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. wind — moving air
  11. deal — to handle
  12. content — the amount
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. mate — to breed
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bear — the animal
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. press — a publisher
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. press — to push
  24. mate — a friend

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