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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 116 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 are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — tied together
  3. file — a document
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. file — a tool
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — goods
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. sharp — clever
  11. file — a line of people
  12. press — to push
  13. snap — to click
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bound — certain
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. press — newspapers
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. stock — shares
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — to grow
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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