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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. season — in sport
  3. clip — a video
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. squash — the sport
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wake — a trail
  10. squash — to crush
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bulb — for light
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. press — a publisher
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. press — to push
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. clip — for paper
  24. season — of the year

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