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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: press · cell · bound · band · wound · fine · ruler · mate

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. fine — high quality
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — to push
  5. wound — an injury
  6. fine — all right
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. cell — a phone
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — tied together
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bound — obliged
  16. band — a ring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. press — a publisher
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mate — a partner
  24. band — a music group

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