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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. press — newspapers
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — happy
  6. mark — a grade
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. band — a music group
  14. press — to push
  15. mark — a trace
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. band — a ring
  19. bound — certain
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — obliged
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. press — a publisher

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