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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. press — a publisher
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. land — a country
  5. rest — what's left
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. deal — to handle
  8. shower — rain
  9. bound — tied together
  10. fine — high quality
  11. shower — to wash
  12. press — to push
  13. bound — obliged
  14. press — newspapers
  15. present — a gift
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. present — the time now
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. land — ground
  21. present — there
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. land — to come down
  24. bound — certain

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