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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: rule · press · bound · rash · cap · net · jam · wake

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. cap — of ice
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. net — for catching
  5. bound — obliged
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bound — tied together
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. press — newspapers
  12. cap — a lid
  13. rash — a series
  14. cap — a hat
  15. net — after costs
  16. wake — a trail
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. rule — a law
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. bound — certain
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — to push
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rule — government

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