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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. cap — of ice
  3. game — wild animals
  4. spring — the season
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bound — obliged
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bound — tied together
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rule — government
  13. present — the time now
  14. bound — certain
  15. mark — a trace
  16. present — there
  17. spring — of water
  18. mark — a grade
  19. present — a gift
  20. game — a match
  21. rule — a law
  22. spring — a coil
  23. cap — a lid
  24. lie — to recline

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