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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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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: firm · bound · tear · hand · rule · racket · ruler · last

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. last — finally
  6. bound — obliged
  7. hand — help
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. tear — to rip
  10. last — to go on
  11. tear — from crying
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bound — certain
  14. hand — in cards
  15. firm — decided
  16. bound — tied together
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rule — a law
  19. firm — a company
  20. last — final
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. firm — steady
  24. rule — government

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