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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 120 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bound — certain
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a line of people
  9. hand — help
  10. rush — hurry
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bound — tied together
  13. can — a tin
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bound — obliged
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. file — a tool
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. hand — in cards
  23. can — a tin
  24. rule — government

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