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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: snap · bear · press · saw · safe · root · lie · straw

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. press — a publisher
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a plant
  6. lie — to recline
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bear — the animal
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. saw — the tool
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. root — of a word
  18. bear — the animal
  19. press — to push
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. snap — to click
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. press — newspapers
  24. straw — a straw man

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