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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: stand · pitcher · lash · roll · press · pop · bound · rest

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — tied together
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bound — obliged
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. press — a publisher
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. pop — soda
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. press — newspapers
  15. roll — a list
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — to visit
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. press — to push
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. rest — what's left
  23. stand — to bear
  24. roll — a cake

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