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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 120 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. track — a song
  3. clip — a video
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. track — a path
  7. press — newspapers
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. clip — for paper
  13. track — to keep track
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. clip — to cut
  18. press — a publisher
  19. lie — to recline
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. press — to push
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. perch — the fish

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