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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — a position
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. press — newspapers
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. press — a publisher
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. clip — a video
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. press — to push
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. clip — for paper
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — to drill
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — a trace
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. ground — crushed
  24. clip — to cut

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