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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bound — obliged
  4. wound — an injury
  5. press — to push
  6. capital — a city
  7. wound — an injury
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. rash — a series
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bound — tied together
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. roll — a list
  17. plane — a tool
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. press — a publisher
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. capital — money
  23. bound — certain
  24. roll — a cake

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