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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. charge — a price
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. sharp — clever
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. charge — in control
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. press — newspapers
  11. bound — tied together
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. charge — electricity
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. press — to push
  19. bound — obliged
  20. press — a publisher
  21. lean — thin
  22. mine — for digging
  23. lean — to bend
  24. date — the fruit

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