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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 120 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: can · object · bound · rock · rule · present · spring · squash

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — the season
  3. can — a tin
  4. object — a thing
  5. bound — tied together
  6. can — to be able to
  7. rule — government
  8. bound — certain
  9. present — there
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. object — an aim
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. can — a tin
  14. squash — the sport
  15. object — to protest
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bound — obliged
  18. spring — a coil
  19. rule — a law
  20. present — a gift
  21. rock — music
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. present — the time now
  24. rock — a stone

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