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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. band — a music group
  3. bound — tied together
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a ring
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rule — government
  10. rock — music
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bound — certain
  13. rule — a law
  14. rock — a stone
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bound — obliged

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