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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · clip · content · wave · pop · mark · mate · press

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. mate — to breed
  3. pop — soda
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — a grade
  7. press — a publisher
  8. content — the amount
  9. content — happy
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. mate — a partner
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. press — to push
  15. clip — to cut
  16. pop — to visit
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. clip — for paper
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. press — newspapers
  23. clip — a video
  24. mate — a friend

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