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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: bound · ruler · lie · ball · key · saw · rush · march

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — certain
  4. lie — to recline
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ball — a dance
  7. saw — the tool
  8. ball — a great time
  9. saw — the tool
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. key — the most important part
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. march — music
  16. key — for a lock
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. key — in music
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. march — the month
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. march — the month

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