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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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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: bound · suit · wound · bank · ruler · fine · straw · racket

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — certain
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — all right
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bound — tied together
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wound — an injury
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. suit — clothes
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bank — of a river
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. suit — to fit

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