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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. mark — a trace
  3. key — for a lock
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. key — the most important part
  6. chest — of your body
  7. rule — a law
  8. key — in music
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a grade
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. chest — of your body
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bound — obliged
  17. date — the fruit
  18. bound — tied together
  19. chest — a box
  20. bound — certain
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. rule — government
  23. lie — to recline
  24. date — on the calendar

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