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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. land — to come down
  3. file — a line of people
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. file — a document
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. press — a publisher
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. file — a tool
  13. bound — tied together
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bark — to shout
  21. land — ground
  22. press — to push
  23. land — a country
  24. bound — obliged

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