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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 116 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  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. mark — a trace
  2. press — a publisher
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bank — for money
  5. content — the amount
  6. clip — to cut
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. board — a committee
  9. clip — for paper
  10. mark — a grade
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. wax — to grow
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bank — for money
  17. content — happy
  18. press — newspapers
  19. board — to get on
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. press — to push
  22. bank — of a river
  23. fan — a supporter
  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