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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 120 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: snap · pit · clip · press · land · rush · rule · hand

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — a country
  4. press — to push
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. snap — to click
  7. rush — hurry
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — a publisher
  10. land — ground
  11. pit — in a race
  12. hand — in cards
  13. rule — government
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. rule — a law
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. clip — to cut
  21. clip — for paper
  22. pit — a hole
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. hand — help

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