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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. pound — a weight
  4. tube — a container
  5. press — a publisher
  6. clip — to cut
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. clip — a video
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bound — tied together
  13. mark — a grade
  14. clip — for paper
  15. press — to push
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mark — a trace

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