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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: row · press · ruler · bound · bulb · clip · current · rock

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. clip — for paper
  3. press — to push
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rock — music
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. press — newspapers
  13. current — of water
  14. press — a publisher
  15. current — happening now
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a line
  19. bound — certain
  20. current — electric
  21. rock — a stone
  22. clip — a video
  23. clip — to cut
  24. bound — obliged

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