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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 had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bound — tied together
  4. rash — hasty
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. pop — music
  7. press — newspapers
  8. drill — army training
  9. pop — to visit
  10. drill — the tool
  11. press — to push
  12. bound — obliged
  13. snap — to click
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of law
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. court — of a king
  20. pop — soda
  21. press — a publisher
  22. plane — a tool
  23. rash — a series
  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