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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. bound — tied together
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. key — in music
  5. spring — the season
  6. court — of law
  7. key — for a lock
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. bound — obliged
  10. rule — a law
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — of water
  13. fine — all right
  14. court — of a king
  15. wound — an injury
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rule — government
  18. court — for sport
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bound — certain
  21. key — the most important part
  22. lie — to recline
  23. fine — high quality
  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