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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 120 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. fall — the season
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bound — tied together
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bound — certain
  8. charge — in control
  9. press — newspapers
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. fall — to drop
  12. charge — electricity
  13. press — to push
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bound — obliged
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. charge — a price
  20. fall — to drop
  21. press — a publisher
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mouse — for a computer

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