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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: ruler · key · tear · wound · tube · bound · fan · current

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bound — obliged
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. key — for a lock
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bound — tied together
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bound — certain
  11. current — electric
  12. current — of water
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wound — an injury
  17. tear — from crying
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. current — happening now
  20. tube — a container
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — in music
  23. tear — to rip
  24. wound — an injury

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