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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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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: tear · ball · ruler · fine · stand · bound · cabinet · spell

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bound — tied together
  6. ball — a great time
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. tear — from crying
  10. stand — to bear
  11. fine — all right
  12. tear — to rip
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bound — obliged
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. spell — a short time
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. spell — magic
  19. bound — certain
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. fine — high quality
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ruler — for measuring

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