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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  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. press — newspapers
  2. press — to push
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. fall — the season
  5. present — the time now
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. wake — a trail
  8. present — there
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. mug — a face
  12. fall — to drop
  13. clip — a video
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. mug — a cup
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. mug — to rob
  21. present — a gift
  22. press — a publisher
  23. clip — to cut
  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