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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bound — tied together
  3. last — to go on
  4. bound — obliged
  5. cell — in biology
  6. last — final
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bound — certain
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tear — from crying
  12. press — a publisher
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — a tool
  15. press — to push
  16. current — happening now
  17. press — newspapers
  18. date — the fruit
  19. current — of water
  20. tear — from crying
  21. last — finally
  22. current — electric
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — on the calendar

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