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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: sharp · leaves · stick · perch · trunk · press · rule · bound

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  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. press — to push
  2. bound — tied together
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. rule — government
  10. rule — a law
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bound — obliged
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. press — a publisher
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bound — certain
  20. sharp — clever
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. press — newspapers
  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