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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: bulb · content · chair · clip · press · bound · fine · fan

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. content — happy
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. clip — to cut
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. fine — all right
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bound — obliged
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. clip — for paper
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bound — tied together
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. clip — a video
  20. press — newspapers
  21. chair — a leader
  22. press — to push
  23. press — a publisher
  24. content — the amount

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