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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. bound — obliged
  3. clip — to cut
  4. chip — for betting
  5. clip — a video
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. pit — a hole
  9. chip — to eat
  10. press — to push
  11. press — newspapers
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. press — a publisher
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. clip — for paper
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bound — certain
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bound — tied together
  24. trunk — of a tree

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