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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 120 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: bowl · pop · wave · press · hand · firm · clip · rock

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. firm — steady
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. press — newspapers
  5. pop — music
  6. hand — help
  7. clip — to cut
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. clip — a video
  12. press — to push
  13. firm — a company
  14. pop — to visit
  15. press — a publisher
  16. pop — soda
  17. hand — in cards
  18. rock — a stone
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. rock — music
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. clip — for paper
  24. firm — decided

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