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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. last — final
  5. press — newspapers
  6. cue — for pool
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. clip — a video
  9. clip — for paper
  10. cue — a hint
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. row — a line
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bulb — for light
  17. lie — to recline
  18. press — to push
  19. last — to go on
  20. row — to paddle
  21. clip — to cut
  22. last — finally
  23. cue — a signal
  24. lie — an untruth

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