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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: kick · cabinet · firm · ground · ruler · row · bound · branch

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. row — a line
  5. bound — certain
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. firm — decided
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. row — to paddle
  14. kick — in football
  15. ground — crushed
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — a company
  18. bound — obliged
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bound — tied together
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — a position
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a tree

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