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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. saw — the tool
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bore — to tire
  7. rule — a law
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. land — ground
  14. staff — employees
  15. fine — all right
  16. craft — boats
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bore — to drill
  19. land — to come down
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rule — government
  22. craft — a skill
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. land — a country

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