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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 116 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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. clip — a video
  3. saw — the tool
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. press — a publisher
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — in control
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. clip — for paper
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bore — to tire
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. prune — to trim
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. charge — a price
  17. clip — to cut
  18. press — to push
  19. branch — a division
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bore — to drill
  23. saw — the tool
  24. chip — for betting

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