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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: plane · squash · bark · bound · ruler · wake · content · pass

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bound — obliged
  3. content — the amount
  4. wake — a trail
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. squash — the sport
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. squash — to crush
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bound — certain
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. content — happy
  18. pass — a permit
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. squash — the vegetable

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