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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: kid · bound · pit · mate · leaves · temple · shower · rule

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. pit — in a race
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. bound — tied together
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. rule — government
  10. bound — obliged
  11. mate — to breed
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. pit — a hole
  16. shower — to wash
  17. kid — to tease
  18. kid — child
  19. shower — rain
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bound — certain
  22. mate — a friend
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. rule — a law

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