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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. clip — a video
  5. race — a contest
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. clip — for paper
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. race — humankind
  12. press — a publisher
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. clip — to cut
  15. stand — to bear
  16. race — the arms race
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — to push
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to sink
  24. wake — a trail

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