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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: bound · wave · rock · ruler · cap · toast · race · ground

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. race — the arms race
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. ground — crushed
  8. race — humankind
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — the earth
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — tied together
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. toast — bread
  15. race — a contest
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rock — music
  18. cap — a hat
  19. rock — a stone
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bound — certain
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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