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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: wind · mug · bound · cue · ruler · mine · chest · rash

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. cue — a signal
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. chest — of your body
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bound — tied together
  7. rash — hasty
  8. chest — of your body
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bound — obliged
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. mug — to rob
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. cue — a hint
  18. mug — a face
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. chest — a box
  22. wind — moving air
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mine — for digging

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