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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · mark · bound · press · wind · march · fine · toast

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. march — music
  3. mark — a trace
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — a publisher
  6. mark — a grade
  7. press — to push
  8. bound — certain
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bound — tied together
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — high quality
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. march — the month
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. toast — bread
  24. march — the month

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