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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: wave · straw · bear · ruler · clip · foot · press · firm

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. firm — steady
  6. firm — decided
  7. clip — a video
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. clip — to cut
  11. press — newspapers
  12. clip — for paper
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. foot — a measure
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. press — a publisher
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. firm — a company

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