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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bank — for money
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. clip — a video
  7. content — happy
  8. bore — to tire
  9. press — to push
  10. clip — to cut
  11. bore — to drill
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. content — the amount
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. press — a publisher
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. press — newspapers
  24. bank — for money

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