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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. bound — obliged
  3. press — to push
  4. cold — an illness
  5. bound — certain
  6. mark — a grade
  7. press — a publisher
  8. net — for catching
  9. spell — magic
  10. face — to point toward
  11. firm — a company
  12. face — to confront
  13. spell — letters
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. net — in sport
  17. cold — not warm
  18. firm — decided
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. net — after costs
  21. bound — tied together
  22. face — part of the head
  23. spell — a short time
  24. firm — steady

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