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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: mine · wave · ruler · temple · bound · snap · saw · ground

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. ground — a position
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bound — obliged
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bound — certain
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ground — the earth
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. mine — for digging
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bound — tied together
  20. snap — to click
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mine — an explosive

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