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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: chip · perch · press · band · cue · lie · bound · rush

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. band — a ring
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bound — tied together
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bound — certain
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. chip — to eat
  10. press — newspapers
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. chip — for betting
  13. cue — for pool
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — to push
  18. lie — to recline
  19. perch — the fish
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cue — a hint
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. rush — hurry
  24. band — a music group

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