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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 116 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: mine · spell · ruler · bowl · stick · band · chair · wound

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. chair — a leader
  4. spell — a short time
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. spell — magic
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — for digging
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. band — a ring
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. band — a music group
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. spell — letters
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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