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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. bound — certain
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. press — to push
  6. kick — in football
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. clip — to cut
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bark — to shout
  11. rock — a stone
  12. press — a publisher
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. clip — for paper
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. clip — a video
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. rock — music
  24. bound — obliged

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