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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. clip — to cut
  4. band — a music group
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. track — a path
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. press — to push
  12. track — a song
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. clip — a video
  15. object — to protest
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. band — a ring
  18. object — an aim
  19. clip — for paper
  20. object — a thing
  21. foot — a measure
  22. press — newspapers
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bowl — a football final

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