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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. race — a contest
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. present — there
  5. dip — to sink
  6. clip — for paper
  7. pass — a permit
  8. race — humankind
  9. present — a gift
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. present — the time now
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — to bend
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. press — to push
  16. press — newspapers
  17. clip — a video
  18. lean — thin
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — in sport
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. press — a publisher
  24. race — the arms race

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