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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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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 · bat · mate · roll · ruler · face · bound · kick

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  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. ruler — a monarch
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bank — of a river
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. bound — certain
  7. kick — in football
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bank — for money
  12. face — part of the head
  13. roll — a list
  14. bat — the animal
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. roll — a cake
  17. bank — for money
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. mate — a partner
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — to confront
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. mate — a friend
  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