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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: bear · stick · plane · march · press · mug · clip · nail

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. clip — for paper
  3. march — the month
  4. press — newspapers
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. march — music
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. press — a publisher
  9. march — the month
  10. bear — the animal
  11. plane — a tool
  12. mug — a face
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. clip — to cut
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bear — the animal
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. mug — to rob
  23. press — to push
  24. mug — a cup

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