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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bound — obliged
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fine — high quality
  8. shower — to wash
  9. ground — a position
  10. kid — to tease
  11. bound — tied together
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. ground — crushed
  15. shower — rain
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. press — a publisher
  18. kid — child
  19. bound — certain
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — to push
  22. saw — the tool
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fine — all right

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