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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: press · bound · suit · clip · roll · kick · wind · mark

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  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. kick — in football
  2. mark — a trace
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bound — certain
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. bound — tied together
  7. mark — a grade
  8. wind — moving air
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bound — obliged
  12. suit — to fit
  13. clip — a video
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. press — newspapers
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. press — to push
  18. suit — in cards
  19. roll — a list
  20. clip — to cut
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. suit — clothes
  23. roll — a cake
  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