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

Word bank: bank · lash · pit · band · wound · tear · bound · ruler

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bound — certain
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. bank — for money
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. wound — an injury
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bound — obliged
  13. tear — to rip
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bank — of a river
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bank — for money
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a music group
  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