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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. band — a ring
  3. cap — of ice
  4. clip — to cut
  5. shower — rain
  6. band — a music group
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. clip — a video
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. shower — to wash
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. clip — for paper
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. press — a publisher
  20. cap — a lid
  21. press — to push
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. cap — a hat

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