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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · clip · rock · bowl · press · trunk

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. press — newspapers
  3. tear — to rip
  4. press — to push
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. tear — from crying
  7. clip — a video
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. rock — music
  13. clip — for paper
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. rock — a stone
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. rock — to move gently

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