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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. date — the fruit
  3. rash — a series
  4. object — an aim
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. press — to push
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. press — a publisher
  13. object — a thing
  14. clip — for paper
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. clip — a video
  18. press — newspapers
  19. object — to protest
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. stand — to bear
  24. clip — to cut

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