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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bulb — for light
  4. season — of the year
  5. hand — in cards
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bank — of a river
  8. press — newspapers
  9. rule — a law
  10. clip — to cut
  11. press — to push
  12. season — in sport
  13. bank — for money
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. hand — help
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bank — for money
  21. rule — government
  22. clip — a video
  23. bulb — for light
  24. tube — a container

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