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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — the season
  5. branch — a division
  6. press — newspapers
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. clip — a video
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. board — a committee
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. clip — to cut
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. spring — a coil
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. press — a publisher
  21. board — to get on
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. clip — for paper

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