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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: object · track · band · kick · bound · ruler · chest · snap

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. object — an aim
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. track — a path
  5. chest — of your body
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. band — a ring
  8. object — a thing
  9. snap — to click
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. track — a song
  12. bound — obliged
  13. track — to keep track
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bound — certain
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bound — tied together
  21. band — a music group
  22. object — to protest
  23. chest — a box
  24. kick — in football

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