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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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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 · wound · object · chest · cell · rest · coach · ruler

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. object — a thing
  4. bound — certain
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. chest — of your body
  8. object — to protest
  9. cell — in biology
  10. object — an aim
  11. bound — obliged
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cell — a phone
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bound — tied together
  24. coach — a trainer

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