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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · press · charge · rule · bark · mouse · bound · fall

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. fall — to drop
  4. press — to push
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. charge — a price
  7. fall — the season
  8. charge — in control
  9. bound — certain
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — a publisher
  14. rule — government
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rule — a law
  17. bound — obliged
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bark — to shout
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. fall — to drop

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