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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: wound · sharp · mouse · ruler · chest · bank · bound · fall

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. chest — of your body
  4. wound — an injury
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bank — of a river
  7. sharp — clever
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bank — for money
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bank — for money
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — certain
  19. fall — the season
  20. chest — a box
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bound — tied together

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