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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. clip — a video
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. land — ground
  5. sharp — clever
  6. press — to push
  7. press — a publisher
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. clip — to cut
  11. clip — for paper
  12. mate — a partner
  13. land — to come down
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. shower — rain
  16. press — newspapers
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. shower — to wash
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. land — a country
  24. mate — a friend

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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