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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. drill — army training
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. spring — of water
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. spring — the season
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — a publisher
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bound — tied together
  13. drill — a practice
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. spring — a coil
  16. stand — to bear
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — certain
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. rock — music
  22. mine — for digging
  23. press — to push
  24. rock — a stone

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