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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.

Make a worksheet

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: clip · bear · snap · leaves · press · court · bass · mug

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. mug — a face
  3. snap — to click
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bass — the fish
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. court — for sport
  9. press — to push
  10. clip — to cut
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. mug — to rob
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bear — the animal
  15. clip — for paper
  16. clip — a video
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. press — a publisher
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. mug — a cup
  22. court — of law
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bass — low music

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