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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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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 · stem · clip · charge · jam · root · rush · press

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. stem — to come from
  3. clip — for paper
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. press — to push
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. root — the cause
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — of a word
  14. clip — to cut
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. press — newspapers
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. charge — in control
  19. clip — a video
  20. press — a publisher
  21. rush — hurry
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — electricity

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