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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mark — a grade
  3. fall — the season
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. fall — to drop
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. clip — to cut
  8. press — to push
  9. press — newspapers
  10. clip — for paper
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — a measure
  13. scale — in music
  14. plane — a tool
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. mark — a trace
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. scale — size or range
  23. press — a publisher
  24. clip — a video

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