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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. clip — a video
  3. press — newspapers
  4. clip — to cut
  5. press — a publisher
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bound — obliged
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. track — a path
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — certain
  14. clip — for paper
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. track — a song
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. track — to keep track
  20. hand — help
  21. prune — to trim
  22. hand — in cards
  23. perch — the fish
  24. hand — part of the body

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