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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: file · rule · lie · bound · coach · wound · mouse · content

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bound — obliged
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rule — a law
  13. lie — to recline
  14. wound — an injury
  15. file — a document
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. content — the amount
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. file — a tool
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — tied together
  22. content — happy
  23. rule — government
  24. lie — an untruth

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