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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. club — for dancing
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. clip — a video
  5. press — to push
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. clip — for paper
  11. press — a publisher
  12. clip — to cut
  13. press — newspapers
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — a group
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wind — moving air
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. fan — to cool the air

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