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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: press · nail · saw · row · clip · content · cell · fork

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. row — to paddle
  3. clip — a video
  4. saw — the tool
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. press — newspapers
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. content — the amount
  10. cell — in biology
  11. fork — in a road
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. cell — a phone
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. press — a publisher
  18. press — to push
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. row — a line
  23. clip — to cut
  24. content — happy

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