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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · ground · wound · bound · ruler · saw · lash · bank

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bound — obliged
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. ground — the earth
  9. wound — an injury
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bat — the animal
  12. wound — an injury
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bank — for money
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. saw — the tool
  22. ground — a position
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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