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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: straw · content · wind · temple · board · press · wave · clip

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. clip — for paper
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. content — the amount
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. press — to push
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. clip — a video
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — a committee
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. wind — moving air
  19. content — happy
  20. press — a publisher
  21. wind — moving air
  22. board — to get on
  23. clip — to cut
  24. temple — a place of worship

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