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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bound — obliged
  3. cold — an illness
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. suit — in cards
  6. press — newspapers
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. bound — tied together
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. suit — to fit
  12. press — to push
  13. bound — certain
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stand — to bear
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cold — not warm
  23. press — a publisher
  24. nail — for a hammer

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