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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 shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bound — obliged
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. fine — all right
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. spring — of water
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. rule — government
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. saw — the tool
  12. spring — the season
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. saw — the tool
  17. chip — to eat
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bound — tied together
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bound — certain
  23. chip — for betting
  24. rule — a law

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