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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: ruler · present · file · bound · wave · key · rash · straw

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bound — tied together
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. key — the most important part
  7. file — a tool
  8. file — a document
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. key — for a lock
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bound — obliged
  14. rash — a series
  15. present — there
  16. file — a line of people
  17. key — in music
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bound — certain
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — a gift
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. rash — hasty

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