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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: foot · clip · stand · ball · calf · tear · press · perch

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. tear — to rip
  4. ball — a dance
  5. clip — to cut
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. clip — for paper
  8. perch — the fish
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. foot — a measure
  15. ball — a great time
  16. press — a publisher
  17. stand — to bear
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — from crying
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — to push
  24. perch — for a bird

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