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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.

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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: spring · prune · rule · pop · cap · leaves · cabinet · bound

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bound — tied together
  5. pop — music
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — a coil
  8. pop — soda
  9. prune — to trim
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. rule — government
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. cap — of ice
  14. prune — to trim
  15. spring — of water
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bound — certain
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bound — obliged
  20. pop — to visit
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rule — a law
  24. cap — a hat

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