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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: mine · rule · toast · tube · perch · wake · press · clip

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. press — to push
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. clip — a video
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — newspapers
  9. tube — the underground
  10. clip — to cut
  11. tube — a container
  12. clip — for paper
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. perch — the fish
  15. rule — a law
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mine — for digging
  21. toast — bread
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. rule — government
  24. wake — a trail

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