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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. clip — to cut
  3. mate — to breed
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — high quality
  6. cue — for pool
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. cue — a signal
  9. clip — a video
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. clip — for paper
  13. mate — a partner
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. press — a publisher
  18. wax — to grow
  19. press — to push
  20. mate — a friend
  21. cue — a hint
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. calf — a young animal

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