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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: leaves · bound · ruler · cold · wake · stand · safe · march

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. bound — certain
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. stand — to bear
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bound — tied together
  10. cold — an illness
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bound — obliged
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. march — the month
  16. cold — not warm
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. march — music
  22. march — the month
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — of a tree

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