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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. wound — an injury
  3. clip — to cut
  4. land — ground
  5. clip — a video
  6. can — a tin
  7. press — a publisher
  8. rock — music
  9. current — of water
  10. wax — to grow
  11. rock — a stone
  12. clip — for paper
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — electric
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. land — to come down
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. press — newspapers
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. land — a country
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. wound — an injury

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