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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. spell — magic
  3. press — newspapers
  4. wake — a trail
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. clip — to cut
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. clip — a video
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. saw — the tool
  15. press — to push
  16. spell — a short time
  17. snap — to click
  18. spell — letters
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. press — a publisher
  22. chair — a leader
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. clip — for paper

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