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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. clip — a video
  4. can — a tin
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. can — to be able to
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. kid — child
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. press — a publisher
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — the sport
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. can — a tin
  17. clip — to cut
  18. clip — for paper
  19. kid — to tease
  20. rush — hurry
  21. press — newspapers
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pass — a permit
  24. press — to push

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