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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: leaves · stick · press · rest · band · hide · bound · spell

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — tied together
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. spell — magic
  6. band — a music group
  7. rest — a break
  8. band — a ring
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rest — what's left
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — to push
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. spell — letters
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. spell — a short time
  21. rest — what's left
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bound — obliged
  24. press — a publisher

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