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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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468
Word bank
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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. drill — army training
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. staff — employees
  7. cold — not warm
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. press — to push
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — obliged
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. drill — the tool
  16. snap — to click
  17. staff — employees
  18. drill — a practice
  19. cold — an illness
  20. press — newspapers
  21. staff — a stick
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. press — a publisher
  24. mouse — the animal

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