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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 · ruler · foot · cell · wave · bound · plane · object

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — certain
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. object — to protest
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. object — an aim
  10. squash — to crush
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. plane — a tool
  13. squash — the sport
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. foot — a measure
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bound — obliged
  22. object — a thing
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. ruler — for measuring

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