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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.

Make a worksheet

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: season · press · fan · stick · straw · bear · dip · trunk

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — in sport
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. press — to push
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. press — a publisher
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bear — the animal
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. dip — to sink
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. press — newspapers
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. season — of the year

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