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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: clip · rock · tube · face · chip · bay · press · mate

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. press — to push
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to confront
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. clip — a video
  12. clip — for paper
  13. chip — to eat
  14. press — a publisher
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. clip — to cut
  17. press — newspapers
  18. rock — music
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a partner
  22. tube — a container
  23. chip — for betting
  24. tube — the underground

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