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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 124 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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. object — an aim
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. press — a publisher
  5. clip — for paper
  6. march — the month
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. march — the month
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. clip — a video
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. clip — to cut
  14. ball — a great time
  15. march — music
  16. ball — a dance
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. object — to protest
  19. date — the fruit
  20. object — a thing
  21. press — to push
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — a short time

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