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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: rule · press · bark · bound · lean · degree

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bound — certain
  5. rule — a law
  6. lean — to bend
  7. degree — temperature
  8. press — to push
  9. bound — tied together
  10. degree — from a university
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. degree — an amount
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. lean — thin
  17. press — a publisher
  18. rule — government

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