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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 116 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. press — newspapers
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. clip — a video
  7. tear — from crying
  8. deal — to handle
  9. tear — to rip
  10. clip — for paper
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. tear — from crying
  13. march — music
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. clip — to cut
  16. rush — hurry
  17. press — a publisher
  18. march — the month
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. march — the month
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the sport

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