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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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. firm — decided
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. clip — to cut
  6. press — newspapers
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. capital — a city
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — clever
  11. mate — a partner
  12. capital — money
  13. mate — to breed
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. foot — a measure
  16. mate — a friend
  17. clip — a video
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. firm — a company
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. firm — steady
  23. press — to push
  24. pass — a permit

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