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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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Word bank
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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: rock · stick · clip · rush · press · net · wake · saw

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. rock — music
  7. net — in sport
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. clip — to cut
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. press — a publisher
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. press — to push
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rock — a stone
  17. press — newspapers
  18. rush — hurry
  19. clip — a video
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — for catching
  22. clip — for paper
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — before a funeral

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