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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — there
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. mark — a trace
  5. land — ground
  6. suit — to fit
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the sport
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. press — to push
  12. present — the time now
  13. clip — a video
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mark — a grade
  16. clip — to cut
  17. land — to come down
  18. suit — in cards
  19. press — a publisher
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. land — a country
  22. press — newspapers
  23. clip — for paper
  24. suit — clothes

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