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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. scale — in music
  3. press — to push
  4. sharp — clever
  5. press — a publisher
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. kid — child
  11. clip — a video
  12. clip — for paper
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. kid — to tease
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. clip — to cut
  24. scale — size or range

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