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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: mate · land · bound · ruler · sharp · chair · band · nail

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. land — ground
  4. bound — obliged
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. band — a ring
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bound — tied together
  10. land — a country
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. band — a music group
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. land — to come down
  18. mate — to breed
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bound — certain
  21. sharp — clever
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — a friend

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