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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rule · ruler · bound · bank · last · clip

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. clip — a video
  3. bank — for money
  4. bound — tied together
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. clip — to cut
  8. bound — obliged
  9. last — final
  10. rule — government
  11. bank — for money
  12. last — to go on
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. last — finally
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rule — a law
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bound — certain

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