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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. hand — help
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. net — in sport
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bound — certain
  9. net — for catching
  10. row — a line
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — a law
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. lie — to recline
  18. hand — in cards
  19. dip — to sink
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. net — after costs
  22. rule — government
  23. bound — obliged
  24. row — to paddle

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