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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.

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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: press · cap · lash · clip · deal · staff · charge · ruler

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. staff — employees
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. charge — electricity
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. charge — a price
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. charge — in control
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. staff — employees
  13. clip — a video
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a lid
  16. staff — a stick
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. cap — a hat
  20. press — to push
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — newspapers
  23. clip — to cut
  24. deal — to handle

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