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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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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: perch · clip · present · kick · tube · safe · pit · press

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. present — the time now
  3. perch — the fish
  4. pit — a hole
  5. press — newspapers
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. press — a publisher
  9. tube — the underground
  10. kick — in football
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. press — to push
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — there
  19. tube — a container
  20. clip — for paper
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. clip — to cut
  23. clip — a video
  24. perch — for a bird

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