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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 116 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: bowl · prune · staff · lean · cap · bound · rule · pass

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. lean — to bend
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bound — obliged
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bound — tied together
  8. cap — a lid
  9. rule — government
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. prune — to trim
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bound — certain
  19. staff — a stick
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. lean — thin
  24. rule — a law

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