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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. drill — the tool
  5. cap — of ice
  6. stand — to bear
  7. cap — a lid
  8. pound — a weight
  9. cell — a phone
  10. clip — to cut
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. cell — in biology
  14. clip — a video
  15. press — to push
  16. drill — a practice
  17. clip — for paper
  18. press — a publisher
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. drill — army training
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. cap — a hat
  24. mouse — the animal

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