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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bound — obliged
  3. fine — all right
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rule — a law
  6. lie — to recline
  7. track — a path
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bound — certain
  10. key — the most important part
  11. press — a publisher
  12. rule — government
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. key — in music
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. track — to keep track
  20. press — newspapers
  21. key — for a lock
  22. press — to push
  23. fine — high quality
  24. bound — tied together

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