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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 116 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: squash · cue · branch · bowl · press · clip · nail · present

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. press — to push
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. cue — a signal
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — to crush
  8. cue — a hint
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. clip — to cut
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — a publisher
  13. present — a gift
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. present — there
  18. squash — the sport
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. branch — a division
  23. present — the time now
  24. clip — for paper

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