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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: pass · march · clip · coach · tube · hide · kick · press

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. tube — the underground
  3. clip — a video
  4. clip — for paper
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. press — to push
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pass — a permit
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. tube — a container
  11. march — the month
  12. press — newspapers
  13. kick — in football
  14. clip — to cut
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. march — music
  22. press — a publisher
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. march — the month

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