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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: fork · clip · temple · lash · land · firm · cabinet · press

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. press — to push
  4. clip — for paper
  5. fork — in a road
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. land — to come down
  8. clip — a video
  9. firm — a company
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. press — a publisher
  13. firm — decided
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. press — newspapers
  17. land — ground
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. firm — steady
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. land — a country
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. temple — a place of worship

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