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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. press — a publisher
  4. clip — to cut
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — to rob
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. press — to push
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. clip — for paper
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mug — a cup
  20. press — newspapers
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bulb — for light

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