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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — certain
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. press — to push
  6. bound — obliged
  7. spring — of water
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. content — the amount
  10. spring — a coil
  11. clip — a video
  12. deal — to handle
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. spring — the season
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. press — a publisher
  19. clip — for paper
  20. content — happy
  21. branch — a division
  22. clip — to cut
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — a tool

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