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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  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 — certain
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. club — for dancing
  5. bound — obliged
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. club — for golf
  8. object — to protest
  9. club — a group
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bound — tied together
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. content — happy
  14. object — an aim
  15. race — a contest
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. race — humankind
  22. race — the arms race
  23. object — a thing
  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