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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
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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: leaves · pop · tube · press · object · present · lash · clip

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. present — the time now
  3. clip — to cut
  4. pop — soda
  5. present — a gift
  6. tube — the underground
  7. object — to protest
  8. press — newspapers
  9. object — a thing
  10. clip — a video
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. pop — to visit
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. object — an aim
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — to push
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — a container
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. pop — music
  24. present — there

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