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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 120 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: lash · bound · press · ruler · stem · wind

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. wind — moving air
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bound — tied together
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. press — to push
  9. press — newspapers
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. press — a publisher
  14. bound — obliged
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. wind — moving air
  17. ruler — for measuring
  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