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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ruler · plane · tear · chest · leaves · bound · swing · current

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. current — electric
  3. chest — of your body
  4. plane — a tool
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. bound — tied together
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. swing — in golf
  10. chest — a box
  11. swing — to play on
  12. current — happening now
  13. chest — of your body
  14. swing — music
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. tear — to rip
  18. bound — obliged
  19. current — of water
  20. tear — from crying
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bound — certain
  24. leaves — of a tree

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