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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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468
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: chest · ruler · safe · bear · hand · straw · bound · trunk

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bear — the animal
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. hand — help
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. hand — in cards
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bound — tied together
  15. chest — a box
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bear — the animal
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bound — certain
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. chest — of your body

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