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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. clip — a video
  6. present — the time now
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bound — tied together
  9. press — to push
  10. present — there
  11. stock — goods
  12. clip — to cut
  13. stock — shares
  14. press — a publisher
  15. present — a gift
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wake — a trail
  19. press — newspapers
  20. clip — for paper
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bound — obliged
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bound — certain

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