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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. spell — letters
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bound — certain
  7. game — a match
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bound — obliged
  11. mark — a grade
  12. spell — magic
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. hand — help
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. mark — a trace
  17. rule — a law
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. spell — a short time
  21. kick — in football
  22. hand — in cards
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — to rule out

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