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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: rule · wake · chair · cabinet · mine · bound · ruler · date

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bound — obliged
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. wake — a trail
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bound — tied together
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. chair — a leader
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bound — certain
  17. rule — government
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. rule — a law
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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