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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. press — to push
  4. ground — crushed
  5. roll — a cake
  6. ground — the earth
  7. dip — to sink
  8. charge — in control
  9. press — a publisher
  10. cap — a lid
  11. press — newspapers
  12. cap — a hat
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. bound — tied together
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — in sport
  17. charge — a price
  18. ground — a position
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bound — certain
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. roll — a list
  23. charge — electricity
  24. dip — a sauce

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