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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. press — a publisher
  3. bank — for money
  4. spell — a short time
  5. press — newspapers
  6. clip — to cut
  7. bark — to shout
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bound — obliged
  10. spell — magic
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bound — tied together
  13. spell — letters
  14. clip — a video
  15. press — to push
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. clip — for paper
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bound — certain
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  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