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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. clip — a video
  8. mine — for digging
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pitch — completely
  11. clip — to cut
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. press — to push
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. roll — a cake
  21. roll — a list
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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