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

Word bank: press · clip · board · tear · wave · kick

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. clip — to cut
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. tear — from crying
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. board — to get on
  7. tear — to rip
  8. clip — a video
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. tear — from crying
  14. clip — for paper
  15. board — a committee
  16. press — to push
  17. press — a publisher
  18. kick — a thrill

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