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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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Word bank
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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: wind · saw · bound · squash · bear · fan · firm · press

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. firm — a company
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. press — newspapers
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bound — tied together
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bear — the animal
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. saw — the tool
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — the sport
  18. firm — steady
  19. squash — to crush
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wind — moving air
  22. firm — decided
  23. wind — moving air
  24. press — to push

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