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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. drill — army training
  3. clip — a video
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cap — a hat
  7. clip — to cut
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. present — there
  10. press — to push
  11. cap — a lid
  12. wound — an injury
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. clip — for paper
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — newspapers
  20. drill — a practice
  21. pit — a hole
  22. drill — the tool
  23. present — a gift
  24. cabinet — ministers

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