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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · bound · pit · stand · dip · last · rule · bore

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bound — tied together
  3. rule — government
  4. bound — obliged
  5. last — to go on
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. last — final
  11. pit — in a race
  12. last — finally
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to tire
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — to sink
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bound — certain
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bore — to drill
  23. rule — a law
  24. stand — on your feet

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