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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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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 button?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. press — to push
  3. bound — tied together
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. wake — a trail
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. press — newspapers
  9. capital — money
  10. saw — the tool
  11. plane — a tool
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bound — certain
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — a city
  17. saw — the tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. dip — to sink
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the fish
  24. press — a publisher

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