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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.

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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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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 · lash · mate · content · press · fall · firm · snap

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. content — the amount
  3. clip — to cut
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. firm — decided
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. clip — a video
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. mate — a friend
  12. fall — to drop
  13. snap — to click
  14. fall — the season
  15. firm — steady
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — a publisher
  18. fall — to drop
  19. press — to push
  20. content — happy
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — to breed
  23. firm — a company
  24. clip — for paper

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