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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. press — newspapers
  3. key — the most important part
  4. root — of a word
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. press — a publisher
  7. rock — a stone
  8. press — to push
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wound — an injury
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bound — tied together
  13. root — the cause
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. key — in music
  16. cold — not warm
  17. key — for a lock
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bound — certain
  20. rock — music
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. cold — an illness
  24. saw — the tool

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