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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: straw · kick · pop · bound · pass · ruler · content · squash

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bound — obliged
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pop — music
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. pop — soda
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. content — happy
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. pop — to visit
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. kick — in football
  23. bound — tied together
  24. content — the amount

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