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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.

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: rash · pit · clip · press · lean · cabinet · club · object

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. press — a publisher
  3. rash — a series
  4. pit — in a race
  5. object — an aim
  6. clip — a video
  7. lean — to bend
  8. press — to push
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rash — hasty
  11. club — for dancing
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. object — a thing
  15. press — newspapers
  16. lean — thin
  17. club — for golf
  18. clip — to cut
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. clip — for paper
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. club — a group
  23. object — to protest
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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