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

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. press — newspapers
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. bear — the animal
  5. craft — boats
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. stock — shares
  8. key — for a lock
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bound — certain
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bound — tied together
  13. key — the most important part
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bear — the animal
  16. key — in music
  17. stock — goods
  18. craft — a skill
  19. bound — obliged
  20. clip — for paper
  21. clip — a video
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. press — to push
  24. nail — for a hammer

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