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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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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: squash · kick · wind · ruler · stick · bound

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bound — obliged
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. wind — moving air
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. kick — in football
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bound — tied together
  11. squash — to crush
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bound — certain
  18. 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