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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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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. stem — to come from
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — for sport
  5. bound — tied together
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. face — to confront
  10. band — a music group
  11. face — part of the head
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. band — a ring
  14. bound — certain
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. face — to point toward
  22. court — of law
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. ruler — a monarch

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