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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. band — a music group
  3. firm — a company
  4. object — an aim
  5. bound — tied together
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. band — a ring
  8. object — to protest
  9. file — a line of people
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. file — a tool
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. object — a thing
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bound — obliged
  17. file — a document
  18. firm — decided
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. firm — steady
  21. bound — certain
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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