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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: lash · bound · ruler · field · spring · bass · trunk · press

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bound — certain
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. spring — the season
  6. field — farmland
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. spring — a coil
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. press — to push
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — for sport
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. spring — of water
  17. press — a publisher
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bound — obliged
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bass — low music
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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