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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. tube — a container
  5. bound — certain
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lie — to recline
  10. band — a music group
  11. tube — the underground
  12. band — a ring
  13. rule — a law
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. scale — in music
  16. bound — tied together
  17. current — happening now
  18. scale — size or range
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. current — electric
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bound — obliged
  23. current — of water
  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