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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. mark — a trace
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bound — tied together
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mate — a partner
  7. press — a publisher
  8. race — humankind
  9. mate — to breed
  10. charge — in control
  11. bound — obliged
  12. rest — a break
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — a price
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. race — the arms race
  20. mate — a friend
  21. race — a contest
  22. rest — what's left
  23. press — to push
  24. press — newspapers

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