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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. mine — for digging
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bound — tied together
  6. rule — government
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. rule — a law
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. track — to keep track
  11. squash — to crush
  12. dip — to sink
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. kick — in football
  16. bound — certain
  17. track — a song
  18. pit — in a race
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bound — obliged
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. track — a path
  24. dip — to dunk

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