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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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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: mark · kick · bay · press · clip · deal · lie · cold

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. kick — in football
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. clip — for paper
  5. press — newspapers
  6. cold — an illness
  7. mark — a trace
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. cold — not warm
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. lie — to recline
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. press — to push
  17. clip — a video
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. deal — to handle
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. clip — to cut

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