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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bound — tied together
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rule — government
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bound — certain
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. rule — a law
  11. bound — obliged
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mine — for digging
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. pop — soda
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. pop — music
  24. season — to add flavour

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