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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. bound — certain
  3. chest — a box
  4. bound — tied together
  5. spell — letters
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rule — a law
  9. spell — a short time
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — to push
  12. perch — the fish
  13. rule — government
  14. cell — a phone
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. chest — of your body
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. spell — magic
  21. bound — obliged
  22. cell — in biology
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. chest — of your body

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