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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 · suit · press · land · mate · deal · leaves · row

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a friend
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. mate — a partner
  5. clip — a video
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. press — newspapers
  8. land — to come down
  9. suit — in cards
  10. clip — for paper
  11. press — a publisher
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. suit — to fit
  14. land — ground
  15. row — to paddle
  16. row — a line
  17. clip — to cut
  18. press — to push
  19. land — a country
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. suit — clothes

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