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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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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: lash · ball · press · pitch · rule · lie · bound · stick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. rule — a law
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — certain
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bound — tied together
  10. ball — a great time
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. press — newspapers
  14. rule — government
  15. press — to push
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. pitch — completely
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. press — a publisher
  23. lie — to recline
  24. ball — a dance

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