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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 120 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: board · ruler · content · arm · last · rush · squash · bound

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. last — final
  5. squash — the sport
  6. last — to go on
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rush — hurry
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. board — a committee
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bound — obliged
  16. last — finally
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — certain
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. board — to get on
  23. content — happy
  24. arm — part of the body

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