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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. clip — to cut
  3. bass — the fish
  4. clip — for paper
  5. clip — a video
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pass — a permit
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. press — a publisher
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. bass — low music
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — to push
  18. bear — to put up with

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