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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. hand — in cards
  3. sharp — clever
  4. press — newspapers
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. saw — the tool
  7. press — a publisher
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. saw — the tool
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. bound — certain
  15. hand — help
  16. bound — tied together
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. capital — money
  19. press — to push
  20. shower — to wash
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. capital — a city
  24. shower — rain

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