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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. file — a document
  3. press — newspapers
  4. pop — to visit
  5. land — ground
  6. clip — to cut
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. chair — a leader
  12. file — a line of people
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — a video
  16. file — a tool
  17. kick — in football
  18. pop — music
  19. press — a publisher
  20. pop — soda
  21. land — a country
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. press — to push

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