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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. last — to go on
  3. charge — electricity
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. toast — bread
  7. scale — size or range
  8. charge — a price
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. last — finally
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — obliged
  14. press — newspapers
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. charge — in control
  17. last — final
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. press — to push
  20. press — a publisher
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. tear — from crying
  23. scale — in music
  24. toast — the most admired

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