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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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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: lean · bass · pit · chest · kick · straw · bound · ruler

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — tied together
  5. lean — to bend
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. chest — a box
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. lean — thin
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bound — certain
  16. kick — in football
  17. bass — low music
  18. chest — of your body
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bass — the fish
  21. chest — of your body
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. pit — in a race
  24. lean — to rest against

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