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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. object — a thing
  3. object — an aim
  4. press — a publisher
  5. drill — the tool
  6. mate — a friend
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. cell — in biology
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. pound — a weight
  14. press — to push
  15. bound — tied together
  16. press — newspapers
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. bound — obliged
  19. drill — a practice
  20. object — to protest
  21. drill — army training
  22. cell — a phone
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a partner

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