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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. bore — to drill
  3. clip — a video
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. clip — to cut
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — newspapers
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. charge — in control
  13. ground — crushed
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — electricity
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. press — to push
  19. bore — to tire
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — a position
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pit — in a 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