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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
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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: fine · press · pop · bound · march · spring · wound · dip

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. wound — an injury
  3. march — the month
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. bound — obliged
  6. press — to push
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — newspapers
  9. fine — high quality
  10. march — the month
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. march — music
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — the season
  15. pop — soda
  16. bound — certain
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. spring — of water
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pop — to visit
  23. fine — all right
  24. pop — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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