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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 120 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bat — the animal
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bound — certain
  14. land — ground
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. land — a country
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. land — to come down
  19. chair — a leader
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bound — obliged

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