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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: suit · bound · trunk · race · clip · root · press · jam

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. bound — obliged
  3. race — the arms race
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — tied together
  7. clip — a video
  8. race — a contest
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. suit — in cards
  12. press — newspapers
  13. suit — clothes
  14. clip — for paper
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. root — of a plant
  17. press — to push
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — the cause
  21. suit — to fit
  22. race — humankind
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. press — a publisher

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