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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. press — newspapers
  3. cap — of ice
  4. clip — to cut
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cap — a lid
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. clip — for paper
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bound — obliged
  15. rule — a law
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bound — certain
  18. press — to push
  19. bound — tied together
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rule — government
  22. clip — a video
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. press — a publisher

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