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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: present · bark · press · chest · leaves · cabinet · bound · nail

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. chest — of your body
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. present — a gift
  8. chest — of your body
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bound — obliged
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. present — there
  13. bound — tied together
  14. chest — a box
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bark — to shout
  19. press — a publisher
  20. present — the time now
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. press — to push

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