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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 116 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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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: wound · key · ruler · mouse · last · mark · bound · chair

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. bound — certain
  3. last — final
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. key — for a lock
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bound — obliged
  11. key — in music
  12. last — to go on
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mark — a trace
  17. last — finally
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. bound — tied together
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mark — a grade
  24. wound — an injury

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