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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: chair · wound · rock · bound · ruler · object · lean · track

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bound — certain
  3. wound — an injury
  4. track — a song
  5. object — to protest
  6. bound — obliged
  7. lean — to bend
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. object — an aim
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. track — to keep track
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — a stone
  19. lean — thin
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. object — a thing
  22. track — a path
  23. chair — a leader
  24. bound — tied together

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