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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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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: lie · clip · cabinet · wound · press · wave · craft · rest

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. rest — what's left
  3. clip — for paper
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. press — to push
  7. lie — to recline
  8. rest — what's left
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rest — a break
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. craft — a skill
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. press — newspapers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. clip — a video
  19. press — a publisher
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. clip — to cut
  24. wave — of the sea

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