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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — to push
  5. press — newspapers
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. fine — all right
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. clip — for paper
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. stand — to bear
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. fine — high quality
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. clip — a video

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