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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. mark — a trace
  3. press — to push
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rock — music
  8. bank — for money
  9. clip — for paper
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mate — a friend
  12. clip — a video
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mate — a partner
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. bank — of a river
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mark — a grade
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bank — for money
  23. rock — a stone
  24. press — a publisher

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