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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. press — to push
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bass — low music
  6. craft — a skill
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. craft — boats
  10. bass — the fish
  11. present — there
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. present — the time now
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bound — tied together
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — money
  18. present — a gift
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. press — newspapers
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bound — certain

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