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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: chest · fine · bound · prune · wound · ruler · object · bank

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. object — a thing
  4. bound — tied together
  5. wound — an injury
  6. prune — to trim
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — to protest
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bound — obliged
  12. wound — an injury
  13. prune — to trim
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. fine — high quality
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. bank — for money
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. fine — all right
  24. bound — certain

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