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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: row · mouse · game · bound · lean · current · nail · ruler

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. lean — to bend
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. current — of water
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bound — certain
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. game — wild animals
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — electric
  15. bound — tied together
  16. lean — thin
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. game — a match
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. row — to paddle
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bound — obliged

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