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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. press — to push
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — a trail
  6. land — ground
  7. clip — for paper
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. press — a publisher
  10. land — a country
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. press — newspapers
  16. clip — to cut
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. land — to come down

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