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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: lash · rule · game · press · sharp · nail · bound · board

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. rule — government
  3. bound — obliged
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — to push
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. board — a committee
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. board — to get on
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. rule — a law
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. game — wild animals
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bound — certain
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. game — a match
  23. press — newspapers
  24. sharp — clever

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