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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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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: bank · dip · bound · swing · ruler · hand · scale · prune

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bound — obliged
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. prune — to trim
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. swing — music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. hand — help
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. scale — in music
  11. bank — of a river
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bank — for money
  14. bound — certain
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. dip — to sink
  19. swing — to play on
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. scale — size or range
  22. swing — in golf
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bound — tied together

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