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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. press — newspapers
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. clip — to cut
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. press — to push
  10. sharp — clever
  11. press — a publisher
  12. clip — a video
  13. firm — decided
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — a company
  17. rash — a series
  18. deal — to handle
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rash — hasty
  21. perch — the fish
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. perch — for a bird

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