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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: date · rest · bear · spell · press · bound · hand · cabinet

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. date — the fruit
  3. bound — certain
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rest — what's left
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. spell — a short time
  8. rest — a break
  9. press — to push
  10. spell — magic
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bound — tied together
  13. hand — help
  14. press — a publisher
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bound — obliged
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. spell — letters
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. press — newspapers
  24. date — on the calendar

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