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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: bound · ruler · pop · spell · band · chest · root · nail

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pop — to visit
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. chest — a box
  8. root — of a word
  9. band — a ring
  10. pop — soda
  11. bound — certain
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bound — obliged
  14. pop — music
  15. band — a music group
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. chest — of your body
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. root — the cause
  20. spell — a short time
  21. root — of a plant
  22. chest — of your body
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — letters

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