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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. press — newspapers
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. mate — a friend
  5. rest — what's left
  6. clip — for paper
  7. clip — to cut
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. rest — a break
  11. snap — to click
  12. mate — to breed
  13. press — to push
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. rest — what's left
  19. hand — help
  20. clip — a video
  21. mate — a partner
  22. press — a publisher
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — on the calendar

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