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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. clip — to cut
  3. suit — clothes
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bass — the fish
  6. firm — steady
  7. clip — a video
  8. firm — a company
  9. clip — for paper
  10. press — a publisher
  11. key — the most important part
  12. suit — in cards
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bass — low music
  15. press — newspapers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. suit — to fit
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. key — in music
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — a box
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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