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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: date · clip · board · mouse · lean · spell · press · pound

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  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. date — on the calendar
  2. press — a publisher
  3. spell — letters
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. press — to push
  6. board — a committee
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. clip — to cut
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. spell — a short time
  14. clip — a video
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. board — to get on
  17. spell — magic
  18. lean — thin
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. press — newspapers
  21. date — the fruit
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. lean — to bend
  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