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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 116 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. rule — a law
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bound — obliged
  5. mate — a partner
  6. kick — in football
  7. rule — government
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. prune — to trim
  10. game — a match
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. game — wild animals
  13. mate — a friend
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mate — to breed
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bound — certain
  21. tube — the underground
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. tube — a container

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