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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 116 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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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 · press · face · bat · pitcher · bound · bear · cabinet

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. face — to confront
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — certain
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. press — newspapers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. press — to push
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. face — part of the head
  23. press — a publisher
  24. face — to point toward

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