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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bound — certain
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — a law
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. toast — bread
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. land — ground
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. land — a country
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bound — obliged
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. land — to come down
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bound — tied together
  24. wound — an injury

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