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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. cue — a signal
  4. band — a music group
  5. hand — in cards
  6. fall — to drop
  7. object — a thing
  8. pound — a weight
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. cue — for pool
  11. fall — the season
  12. object — to protest
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. band — a ring
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. hand — help
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bound — certain
  21. fall — to drop
  22. object — an aim
  23. bound — tied together
  24. cue — a hint

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