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

Word bank: fork · rule · press · squash · cell · bound

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. squash — to crush
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bound — tied together
  5. rule — government
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bound — obliged
  8. rule — a law
  9. cell — a phone
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. press — to push
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. press — a publisher
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bound — certain

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