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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. fine — all right
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bound — certain
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. press — to push
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. press — newspapers
  11. fine — high quality
  12. cell — a phone
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — government
  15. cell — in biology
  16. branch — a division
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — a country
  19. rule — a law
  20. bound — obliged
  21. press — a publisher
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. land — ground

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