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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 116 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. rule — a law
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bore — to drill
  6. last — finally
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bound — certain
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. last — final
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. bore — to tire
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. pound — a weight
  21. rule — government
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pound — to hit hard

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