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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: clip · lie · dip · cabinet · mug · press · rush · racket

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. clip — a video
  3. dip — to sink
  4. clip — to cut
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. press — to push
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mug — to rob
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — a cup
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — newspapers
  15. clip — for paper
  16. lie — to recline
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rush — hurry
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. dip — a sauce

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