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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: fall · bowl · tear · stand · bound · chair · ruler · rest

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. bound — certain
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bound — obliged
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. rest — what's left
  8. fall — the season
  9. chair — a leader
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. fall — to drop
  15. rest — what's left
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bound — tied together
  18. fall — to drop
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. tear — to rip
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. rest — a break

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