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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. tube — the underground
  3. drill — the tool
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bound — tied together
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. tube — a container
  9. press — a publisher
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. drill — army training
  18. kick — in football
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — to push
  21. bound — obliged
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. tube — in a tire

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