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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. press — to push
  3. press — newspapers
  4. charge — in control
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. press — a publisher
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to click
  9. clip — for paper
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — a permit
  12. cue — for pool
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. clip — a video
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. charge — a price
  19. bat — the animal
  20. cue — a signal
  21. charge — electricity
  22. cue — a hint
  23. clip — to cut
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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