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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. rock — music
  4. rule — a law
  5. shower — rain
  6. field — farmland
  7. shower — to wash
  8. bound — certain
  9. rock — a stone
  10. degree — from a university
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rule — government
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — an amount
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. saw — the tool
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. field — a subject
  21. bound — tied together
  22. lie — to recline
  23. field — for sport
  24. bound — obliged

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