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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: charge · bound · wind · field · ruler · rush · lie · cold

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bound — tied together
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. charge — in control
  8. cold — an illness
  9. cold — not warm
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bound — certain
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. bound — obliged
  17. field — farmland
  18. rush — hurry
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — for sport
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. wind — moving air

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