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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lie — to recline
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bound — tied together
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rule — a law
  10. pit — in a race
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. hand — help
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bound — obliged
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — a hole
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. mark — a trace
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. rule — government
  22. bound — certain
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rule — to rule out

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