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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bear — the animal
  3. press — to push
  4. press — a publisher
  5. cold — an illness
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rule — government
  11. press — newspapers
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — a permit
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. bound — tied together
  17. rule — a law
  18. bound — certain
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. cold — not warm
  21. bound — obliged
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. bear — the animal

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