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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 120 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bat — the animal
  5. spell — magic
  6. press — to push
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. wound — an injury
  9. spell — letters
  10. mark — a trace
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bound — obliged
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bound — tied together
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — a publisher
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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