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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. tear — to rip
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — tied together
  5. charge — electricity
  6. row — to paddle
  7. press — newspapers
  8. firm — a company
  9. capital — money
  10. tear — from crying
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. press — a publisher
  14. last — final
  15. tear — from crying
  16. last — to go on
  17. press — to push
  18. firm — steady
  19. charge — in control
  20. row — a line
  21. charge — a price
  22. capital — a city
  23. firm — decided
  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