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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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. rule — to rule out
  4. chest — a box
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mug — to rob
  7. wound — an injury
  8. rule — government
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. last — finally
  11. roll — a cake
  12. mug — a face
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. roll — a list
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mug — a cup
  17. chest — of your body
  18. last — to go on
  19. bound — certain
  20. last — final
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bound — obliged
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. chest — of your body

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