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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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Word bank
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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: content · mine · rest · staff · rule · bound · bear · mate

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. rule — a law
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. staff — employees
  8. rest — a break
  9. mate — to breed
  10. content — the amount
  11. bound — certain
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. rule — government
  14. staff — a stick
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mine — for digging
  17. staff — employees
  18. content — happy
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mate — a friend
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. bound — obliged

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