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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. roll — a list
  3. mug — to rob
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. current — electric
  6. current — of water
  7. bound — obliged
  8. mug — a face
  9. charge — electricity
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. charge — a price
  13. mug — a cup
  14. date — the fruit
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bound — tied together
  17. roll — a cake
  18. press — newspapers
  19. press — to push
  20. current — happening now
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. charge — in control
  23. tube — a container
  24. press — a publisher

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