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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 · clip · object · rock · chest · race · bound · pass

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bound — certain
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bound — tied together
  6. race — a contest
  7. chest — of your body
  8. clip — for paper
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. object — a thing
  11. rock — music
  12. clip — to cut
  13. chest — a box
  14. object — to protest
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bound — obliged
  17. clip — a video
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — humankind
  23. pass — a permit
  24. chest — of your body

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