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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.

Words on the sheet
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: wake · lie · ball · toast · object · bound · ruler · straw

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. ball — a dance
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wake — a trail
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bound — tied together
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. object — a thing
  11. bound — obliged
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bound — certain
  15. object — to protest
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. object — an aim
  18. lie — to recline
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. toast — bread
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. wake — before a funeral

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