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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. press — newspapers
  3. clip — a video
  4. press — a publisher
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. clip — to cut
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — a box
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. mug — to rob
  13. clip — for paper
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. mug — a face
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. press — to push
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. pass — a permit
  21. fine — all right
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. mug — a cup
  24. fine — high quality

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