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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 116 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. object — an aim
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of a king
  7. object — a thing
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — certain
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — to push
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. press — newspapers
  16. branch — a division
  17. rest — a break
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. court — of law
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bound — tied together
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. object — to protest

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