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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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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bound — tied together
  3. rule — a law
  4. rest — what's left
  5. spring — the season
  6. season — of the year
  7. bound — obliged
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — in sport
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rule — government
  12. rest — what's left
  13. spring — of water
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. tear — from crying
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bound — certain
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. spring — a coil
  21. tear — to rip
  22. tear — from crying
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. rest — a break

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