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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. firm — steady
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bound — certain
  5. lie — to recline
  6. wind — moving air
  7. branch — a division
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bound — obliged
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — completely
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. rule — government
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — a company
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wind — moving air
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bound — tied together

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