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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: bound · straw · ruler · net · scale · stem · kick · mate

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. net — in sport
  3. bound — obliged
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bound — tied together
  6. net — after costs
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. scale — size or range
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. scale — in music
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mate — to breed
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. net — for catching
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. kick — in football
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bound — certain
  24. mate — a friend

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