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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. clip — a video
  3. wound — an injury
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to confront
  6. clip — to cut
  7. face — to point toward
  8. rash — hasty
  9. press — a publisher
  10. mug — to rob
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. wound — an injury
  13. press — to push
  14. rash — a series
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. mug — a face
  18. press — newspapers
  19. clip — for paper
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. rush — hurry
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. mug — a cup

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