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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: mate · stick · press · bound · lash · nail · rock · scale

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. press — to push
  3. press — a publisher
  4. scale — in music
  5. bound — tied together
  6. mate — a friend
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — music
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bound — certain
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mate — to breed
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. scale — size or range
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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