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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. mate — to breed
  4. rock — music
  5. rule — government
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — a skill
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. mate — a friend
  10. rule — a law
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. craft — boats
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bound — tied together
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bound — obliged
  17. band — a music group
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. mine — for digging
  20. rock — a stone
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. band — a ring
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bound — certain

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