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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. clip — a video
  3. race — the arms race
  4. wind — moving air
  5. court — of a king
  6. press — to push
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. clip — for paper
  9. wind — moving air
  10. clip — to cut
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — a short time
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. court — of law
  15. spell — magic
  16. race — humankind
  17. tube — a container
  18. press — a publisher
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. race — a contest
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. press — newspapers
  23. tube — the underground
  24. court — for sport

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