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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. mate — a friend
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — to push
  7. clip — to cut
  8. press — a publisher
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to click
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. mate — to breed
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mate — a partner
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. clip — a video
  20. row — to paddle
  21. clip — for paper
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. row — a line

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