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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. lie — to recline
  4. rule — a law
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. present — the time now
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bound — tied together
  11. fine — all right
  12. bound — certain
  13. track — a path
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bound — obliged
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. present — a gift
  19. bark — to shout
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. present — there
  23. mine — for digging
  24. track — a song

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