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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  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. cell — in biology
  3. shower — rain
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. shower — to wash
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bank — for money
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bound — tied together
  14. cell — a phone
  15. bank — for money
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bound — certain
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a document
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. file — a line of people
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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