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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 116 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. press — newspapers
  4. rest — a break
  5. field — farmland
  6. clip — for paper
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. sharp — clever
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to sink
  11. clip — to cut
  12. rest — what's left
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. can — a tin
  15. press — to push
  16. clip — a video
  17. press — a publisher
  18. field — for sport
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. rest — what's left
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. field — a subject
  23. deal — to handle
  24. dip — to dunk

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