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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 120 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: cabinet · lie · vault · chair · last · bound · game · ruler

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  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. bound — certain
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. vault — a safe
  6. game — wild animals
  7. last — final
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bound — obliged
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bound — tied together
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. chair — a leader
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. lie — to recline
  18. game — a match
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. last — finally
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. last — to go on
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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