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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. clip — for paper
  4. mine — for digging
  5. clip — to cut
  6. lie — to recline
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. press — to push
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. clip — a video
  13. stand — to bear
  14. can — a tin
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. press — newspapers
  20. can — a tin
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. press — a publisher
  24. can — to be able to

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