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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bound — certain
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bear — the animal
  11. cell — in biology
  12. rule — a law
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. face — to point toward
  15. cap — a lid
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. rule — government
  19. face — to confront
  20. cell — a phone
  21. pit — in a race
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. face — part of the head
  24. cap — a hat

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