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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. press — newspapers
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. press — a publisher
  7. march — music
  8. sharp — clever
  9. cue — a hint
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. march — the month
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. clip — for paper
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. clip — to cut
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. march — the month
  24. clip — a video

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