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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. pop — music
  4. bound — obliged
  5. pop — to visit
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rule — a law
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. scale — in music
  15. pop — soda
  16. bound — certain
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bound — tied together
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. lie — to recline
  23. scale — size or range
  24. ruler — for measuring

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