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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. present — there
  3. present — the time now
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. cue — a hint
  7. press — to push
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. saw — the tool
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. press — newspapers
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bulb — for light
  15. press — a publisher
  16. present — a gift
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. clip — a video
  20. cue — a signal
  21. clip — for paper
  22. branch — a division
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. cue — for pool

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