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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. clip — a video
  3. object — to protest
  4. press — to push
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. press — a publisher
  7. net — after costs
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. clip — to cut
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. net — in sport
  14. pit — a hole
  15. clip — for paper
  16. spell — letters
  17. object — an aim
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — a short time
  20. net — for catching
  21. plane — a tool
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. object — a thing

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