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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. mark — a grade
  3. kick — in football
  4. clip — for paper
  5. clip — a video
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. mark — a trace
  8. press — to push
  9. press — newspapers
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. content — the amount
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. press — a publisher
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — a permit
  22. content — happy
  23. clip — to cut
  24. rush — to hurry

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