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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. capital — money
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — tied together
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. prune — to trim
  11. suit — clothes
  12. prune — to trim
  13. suit — in cards
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. capital — a city
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. lean — to bend
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bound — obliged
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. lean — thin
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. rule — government

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