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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bound — obliged
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. press — to push
  7. cell — a phone
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. net — in sport
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bound — tied together
  12. mug — a face
  13. bound — certain
  14. net — for catching
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. mark — a trace
  17. press — newspapers
  18. mug — a cup
  19. press — a publisher
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. net — after costs
  23. cell — in biology
  24. mark — a grade

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