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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: bound · spring · cabinet · craft · press · bulb · rule · mug

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — certain
  3. press — newspapers
  4. rule — a law
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — a coil
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. bound — obliged
  11. press — a publisher
  12. mug — a face
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. craft — a skill
  17. mug — to rob
  18. spring — the season
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rule — government
  23. craft — boats
  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