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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: bound · stem · chest · rush · band · press · bay · fork

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fork — in a road
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. band — a ring
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bound — certain
  9. chest — a box
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. stem — to come from
  14. band — a music group
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. press — a publisher
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bound — obliged
  20. chest — of your body
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — to push
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bound — tied together

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