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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 116 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bound — tied together
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. pass — a permit
  5. clip — to cut
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. press — newspapers
  8. firm — a company
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. clip — for paper
  11. degree — from a university
  12. clip — a video
  13. degree — temperature
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. firm — steady
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. firm — decided
  18. press — a publisher
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bound — certain
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bound — obliged
  23. mine — for digging
  24. degree — an amount

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