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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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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: can · coach · bay · stand · bound · roll · ruler · last

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bound — obliged
  4. roll — a cake
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. last — final
  7. can — a tin
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. roll — a list
  11. can — to be able to
  12. last — to go on
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bound — certain
  18. can — a tin
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. stand — to bear
  21. last — finally
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stand — for spectators

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