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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. present — there
  3. wind — moving air
  4. present — a gift
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. roll — a cake
  9. press — to push
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. present — the time now
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cell — in biology
  18. press — a publisher
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. press — newspapers
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. roll — a list
  24. wind — moving air

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