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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: sharp · stick · content · ruler · bound · band · wake · rest

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. wake — a trail
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. band — a ring
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. content — the amount
  11. rest — a break
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bound — obliged
  17. band — a music group
  18. content — happy
  19. bound — certain
  20. rest — what's left
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bound — tied together
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rest — what's left

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