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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. can — a tin
  3. sharp — clever
  4. clip — to cut
  5. rock — music
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — to push
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. fine — high quality
  10. stem — to come from
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. can — a tin
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. can — to be able to
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. fine — all right
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. rock — a stone
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. clip — for paper
  24. clip — a video

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