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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. spell — letters
  3. press — newspapers
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. clip — for paper
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. spell — a short time
  8. tube — a container
  9. face — to confront
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. press — to push
  14. clip — a video
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. face — part of the head
  18. spell — magic
  19. mine — for digging
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. tube — the underground
  23. press — a publisher
  24. face — to point toward

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