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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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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: cell · deal · hide · ruler · bound · rest · club · roll

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. club — a group
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. rest — a break
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — for dancing
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bound — obliged
  16. cell — a phone
  17. roll — a list
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. bound — certain
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. roll — a cake
  24. deal — to handle

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