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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bound — obliged
  3. rule — a law
  4. snap — to click
  5. bound — certain
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. bound — tied together
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. lie — to recline
  24. rule — government

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