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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bound — obliged
  3. charge — a price
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. last — to go on
  6. press — a publisher
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. press — to push
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. plane — a tool
  12. charge — electricity
  13. rule — a law
  14. last — final
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — certain
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. charge — in control
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. rule — government
  21. press — newspapers
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. last — finally

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