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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: club · ruler · staff · bound · saw · object · wake · mouse

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bound — obliged
  3. object — to protest
  4. staff — employees
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. object — a thing
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for dancing
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. staff — a stick
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. staff — employees
  20. wake — a trail
  21. club — for golf
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — certain
  24. object — an aim

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