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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.

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: date · hide · press · spell · clip · cabinet · sharp · bass

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bass — the fish
  3. spell — a short time
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. press — newspapers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — clever
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. clip — to cut
  16. bass — low music
  17. spell — letters
  18. clip — a video
  19. clip — for paper
  20. date — the fruit
  21. press — a publisher
  22. spell — magic
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. press — to push

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