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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 120 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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. row — to paddle
  7. press — a publisher
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — hurry
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — tied together
  13. press — newspapers
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. press — to push
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bound — certain
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. stock — goods
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. row — a line
  24. stock — shares

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