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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.

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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: press · clip · cap · staff · spell · prune · calf · bay

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. press — newspapers
  4. cap — of ice
  5. clip — a video
  6. staff — employees
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. prune — to trim
  10. spell — a short time
  11. press — to push
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. prune — to trim
  16. clip — to cut
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. staff — employees
  19. spell — magic
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. cap — a lid
  22. spell — letters
  23. clip — for paper
  24. staff — a stick

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