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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 116 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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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: stick · cue · pass · cell · lie · band · ruler · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. cue — a signal
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cue — a hint
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bound — obliged
  13. cell — in biology
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. band — a music group
  16. pass — a permit
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bound — tied together
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cue — for pool
  23. band — a ring
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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