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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  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. swing — music
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. clip — a video
  4. clip — for paper
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. press — to push
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. mine — for digging
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — newspapers
  11. charge — a price
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. swing — to play on
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. charge — in control
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. charge — electricity
  20. foot — a measure
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. swing — in golf
  23. lash — to lash out
  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