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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bound — obliged
  3. roll — a list
  4. toast — bread
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — to push
  7. bound — tied together
  8. race — the arms race
  9. mug — a cup
  10. roll — a cake
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. plane — a tool
  13. lie — to recline
  14. press — newspapers
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. mug — a face
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. race — humankind
  20. race — a contest
  21. bound — certain
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. plane — an aircraft

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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