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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 120 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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. press — a publisher
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. tear — from crying
  5. mug — a cup
  6. object — an aim
  7. wind — moving air
  8. press — to push
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — decided
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. object — a thing
  14. clip — a video
  15. mug — to rob
  16. clip — to cut
  17. press — newspapers
  18. mug — a face
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. object — to protest
  21. firm — steady
  22. wind — moving air
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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