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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bound · ruler · fall · bear · coach · land · object · cue

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bound — obliged
  6. fall — the season
  7. object — an aim
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cue — a signal
  13. object — a thing
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. object — to protest
  16. land — a country
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bear — the animal
  19. fall — to drop
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bound — certain
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. land — ground
  24. cue — a hint

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