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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.

Make a worksheet

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: clip · bark · bowl · chest · press · roll · rock · mug

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — to push
  5. rock — music
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. clip — for paper
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. chest — of your body
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a cup
  13. roll — a cake
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. roll — a list
  19. mug — a face
  20. chest — a box
  21. clip — to cut
  22. rock — a stone
  23. chest — of your body
  24. rock — to move gently

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