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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: capital · mark · press · bank · clip · kick · bore · charge

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  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 — a video
  2. clip — to cut
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. charge — in control
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bank — for money
  7. bore — to tire
  8. press — to push
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. charge — a price
  11. mark — a grade
  12. kick — in football
  13. capital — money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. press — newspapers
  16. mark — a trace
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bank — for money
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — a city
  22. clip — for paper
  23. kick — a thrill
  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