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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. net — in sport
  3. press — a publisher
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — tied together
  7. rest — what's left
  8. date — the fruit
  9. bear — the animal
  10. press — newspapers
  11. net — after costs
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. ground — the earth
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. press — to push
  19. ground — a position
  20. bound — certain
  21. ground — crushed
  22. net — for catching
  23. rest — a break
  24. rest — what's left

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