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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: bat · rock · spring · wake · ruler · content · wave · bound

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bound — obliged
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. spring — the season
  7. bound — certain
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. spring — a coil
  12. content — happy
  13. spring — of water
  14. rock — music
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — the amount
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bat — the animal
  21. wake — a trail
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bat — in an idiom

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