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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mine — for digging
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. rule — a law
  7. band — a music group
  8. lean — to bend
  9. rule — government
  10. bound — obliged
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bound — tied together
  14. fall — the season
  15. lean — thin
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bound — certain
  20. lie — to recline
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. band — a ring

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