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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rush · kick · march · root · clip · bear · key · press

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. clip — to cut
  3. press — a publisher
  4. key — for a lock
  5. press — to push
  6. root — the cause
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. clip — a video
  10. march — music
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. root — of a word
  14. press — newspapers
  15. march — the month
  16. kick — in football
  17. clip — for paper
  18. march — the month
  19. bear — the animal
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. key — the most important part
  24. root — of a plant

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