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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — certain
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. row — a line
  6. staff — employees
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bound — obliged
  9. press — newspapers
  10. cell — a phone
  11. content — the amount
  12. staff — a stick
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. press — a publisher
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — to paddle
  18. press — to push
  19. can — a tin
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. content — happy
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — in biology
  24. can — a tin

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