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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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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bound — obliged
  4. spell — a short time
  5. track — a song
  6. ground — the earth
  7. lean — thin
  8. press — to push
  9. bound — tied together
  10. rush — hurry
  11. track — a path
  12. spell — letters
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. press — a publisher
  16. ground — a position
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. press — newspapers
  19. lean — to bend
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. spell — magic
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. track — to keep track
  24. ground — crushed

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