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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: cabinet · clip · tube · foot · dip · leaves · press · pound

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. tube — a container
  7. dip — to sink
  8. press — a publisher
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. clip — to cut
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. press — newspapers
  14. foot — a measure
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. press — to push
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. tube — the underground
  23. pound — a weight
  24. clip — for paper

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