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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a trace
  4. clip — for paper
  5. mark — a grade
  6. clip — a video
  7. clip — to cut
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. press — to push
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. rush — hurry
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. tube — the underground
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — a publisher
  21. tube — a container
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — clever
  24. rush — to hurry

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