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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bound — obliged
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. stem — to come from
  6. fine — high quality
  7. degree — an amount
  8. bound — certain
  9. fine — all right
  10. saw — the tool
  11. press — a publisher
  12. vault — a safe
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. degree — temperature
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. press — to push
  17. degree — from a university
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bound — tied together
  20. saw — the tool
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. press — newspapers
  24. fine — a penalty

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