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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. drill — the tool
  4. last — final
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bound — tied together
  8. last — finally
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — newspapers
  11. fine — all right
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. press — to push
  15. rule — government
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bound — obliged
  18. last — to go on
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. drill — army training
  23. fine — high quality
  24. cabinet — ministers

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