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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bound — certain
  3. rule — government
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bound — tied together
  11. staff — employees
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. rule — a law
  16. lie — to recline
  17. sharp — clever
  18. staff — employees
  19. bat — the animal
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — all right

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