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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. press — a publisher
  4. mate — to breed
  5. kick — in football
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mate — a partner
  8. tear — from crying
  9. clip — for paper
  10. present — a gift
  11. press — to push
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. clip — to cut
  14. clip — a video
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mark — a trace
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. present — there
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. present — the time now
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

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