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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bound · rule · press · stick · lean · object · patient · season

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. object — an aim
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. lean — to bend
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bound — obliged
  7. object — a thing
  8. season — of the year
  9. bound — tied together
  10. press — newspapers
  11. rule — government
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. press — to push
  16. object — to protest
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. press — a publisher
  19. season — in sport
  20. rule — a law
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bound — certain
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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