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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bulb — for light
  3. press — a publisher
  4. mark — a grade
  5. clip — for paper
  6. mark — a trace
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. press — newspapers
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. press — to push
  13. bank — for money
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bank — for money
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — obliged
  22. clip — to cut
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. clip — a video

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