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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. branch — a division
  3. clip — to cut
  4. board — a committee
  5. swing — music
  6. press — to push
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. spell — letters
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. clip — a video
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. board — to get on
  16. swing — to play on
  17. spell — magic
  18. can — to be able to
  19. press — newspapers
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. sharp — clever
  22. swing — in golf
  23. press — a publisher
  24. spell — a short time

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