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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 120 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 was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. press — newspapers
  3. bound — certain
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. press — to push
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. stand — to bear
  10. content — happy
  11. wind — moving air
  12. press — a publisher
  13. board — to get on
  14. clip — to cut
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. clip — for paper
  17. clip — a video
  18. bound — obliged
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. board — a committee
  21. content — the amount
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bound — tied together
  24. lie — an untruth

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