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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. clip — to cut
  3. pit — in a race
  4. kick — in football
  5. drill — the tool
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. drill — a practice
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — of a word
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. drill — army training
  13. clip — for paper
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — to push
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. clip — a video
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. press — a publisher
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. root — the cause
  24. mine — for digging

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