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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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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: ruler · mine · fine · rock · clip · tear · cabinet · press

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. clip — for paper
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. clip — a video
  5. mine — for digging
  6. press — to push
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rock — a stone
  10. press — newspapers
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. tear — to rip
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. fine — all right
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. clip — to cut
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. tear — from crying
  21. press — a publisher
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. fine — high quality
  24. tear — from crying

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