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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. march — the month
  4. land — to come down
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rest — what's left
  9. land — ground
  10. march — music
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bound — certain
  13. staff — employees
  14. rest — a break
  15. staff — employees
  16. land — a country
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bound — obliged
  20. staff — a stick
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — government
  24. march — the month

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