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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  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. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mate — a friend
  5. press — to push
  6. object — an aim
  7. mate — to breed
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — there
  10. clip — for paper
  11. clip — to cut
  12. mate — a partner
  13. object — a thing
  14. press — newspapers
  15. object — to protest
  16. fall — to drop
  17. present — the time now
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. clip — a video
  21. fall — the season
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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