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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — newspapers
  5. mate — a partner
  6. board — a committee
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mate — a friend
  11. pit — in a race
  12. clip — for paper
  13. field — a subject
  14. clip — a video
  15. sharp — clever
  16. board — to get on
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — farmland
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. press — to push
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. pit — a hole
  24. sharp — exactly

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