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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. can — a tin
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. face — part of the head
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bound — certain
  11. rule — government
  12. bound — tied together
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bound — obliged
  17. can — to be able to
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. face — to confront
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. can — a tin

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