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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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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: ruler · chest · chair · club · bound · rest · drill · deal

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bound — certain
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. club — a group
  6. rest — what's left
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bound — tied together
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. deal — to handle
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — a practice
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. drill — army training
  19. club — for golf
  20. chest — a box
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bound — obliged
  24. chair — a leader

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