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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: sharp · rash · trunk · bound · swing · lean · present · ruler

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — tied together
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — in golf
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — a series
  12. sharp — clever
  13. present — the time now
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bound — certain
  19. swing — music
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. present — there
  22. present — a gift
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. lean — thin

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