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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. press — to push
  4. can — a tin
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bound — tied together
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bear — the animal
  9. capital — a city
  10. pass — a permit
  11. press — a publisher
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. capital — money
  18. saw — the tool
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bound — obliged
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pass — to spend time

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