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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — obliged
  3. squash — to crush
  4. clip — for paper
  5. net — for catching
  6. press — to push
  7. bore — to drill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. net — in sport
  15. rush — hurry
  16. press — newspapers
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bound — certain
  19. clip — a video
  20. clip — to cut
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bore — to tire
  24. net — after costs

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