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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bound — certain
  8. pop — soda
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. board — a committee
  11. pit — a hole
  12. tear — from crying
  13. rule — government
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bound — tied together
  16. pop — music
  17. board — to get on
  18. tear — to rip
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. pit — in a race
  21. rule — a law
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rash — a series

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