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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. press — a publisher
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. kid — child
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. lie — to recline
  7. charge — electricity
  8. rash — hasty
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bound — obliged
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. press — newspapers
  13. rash — a series
  14. bound — tied together
  15. press — to push
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. branch — a division
  19. charge — in control
  20. kid — to tease
  21. charge — a price
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. prune — to trim
  24. branch — of a tree

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