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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. lie — to recline
  3. press — newspapers
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. firm — a company
  6. bat — the animal
  7. branch — a division
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — after costs
  10. press — a publisher
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. net — in sport
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. firm — decided
  17. clip — for paper
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. firm — steady
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. press — to push
  23. clip — to cut
  24. temple — a place of worship

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