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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 116 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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — a publisher
  4. court — of a king
  5. stem — to come from
  6. clip — to cut
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. court — for sport
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. band — a ring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. press — to push
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. band — a music group
  19. clip — for paper
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. wake — a trail
  24. court — of law

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