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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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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 · tube · craft · chest · stand · date · ruler · sharp

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bound — tied together
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. date — the fruit
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. chest — a box
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. tube — the underground
  11. sharp — clever
  12. craft — boats
  13. tube — a container
  14. craft — a skill
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bound — obliged
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bound — certain
  20. chest — of your body
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stand — to bear
  24. date — on the calendar

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