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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.

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: pass · bat · lie · wound · lash · press · tube · clip

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  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. tube — a container
  2. wound — an injury
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. tube — the underground
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. clip — a video
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. press — to push
  10. wound — an injury
  11. press — a publisher
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bat — the animal
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. clip — for paper
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. press — newspapers
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  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