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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. rest — a break
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — obliged
  5. rest — what's left
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — in cards
  8. mug — a face
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. mug — to rob
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. rule — government
  15. bound — tied together
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. rule — a law
  18. game — a match

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