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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: clip · stick · patient · jam · press · kick

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. press — newspapers
  3. clip — for paper
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. press — to push
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. clip — to cut
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. press — a publisher
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. clip — a video

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