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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: ruler · bulb · last · mate · leaves · bound · press · ball

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. mate — to breed
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. mate — a friend
  7. ball — a dance
  8. press — newspapers
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — certain
  12. mate — a partner
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. last — to go on
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. last — final
  18. bulb — for light
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. press — a publisher
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. last — finally
  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