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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bank — for money
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — the underground
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rule — government
  7. bound — obliged
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bound — tied together
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bank — for money
  14. tear — from crying
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rule — a law
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wind — moving air
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bank — of a river
  24. tear — to rip

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