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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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468
Word bank
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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. press — to push
  3. press — newspapers
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. clip — to cut
  8. mate — to breed
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. fine — all right
  11. clip — for paper
  12. spring — of water
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. clip — a video
  15. spring — the season
  16. fine — high quality
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. kick — in football
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. press — a publisher
  21. spring — a coil
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. pitch — completely
  24. mouse — the animal

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