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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 116 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bat — the animal
  3. key — in music
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. mug — a face
  6. press — to push
  7. press — newspapers
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. clip — for paper
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mug — a cup
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. clip — a video
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bass — low music
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. key — for a lock
  20. snap — to click
  21. press — a publisher
  22. mate — to breed
  23. clip — to cut
  24. bass — the fish

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