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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: drill · cabinet · wound · rule · mate · bound · fine · band

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. bound — obliged
  5. fine — all right
  6. mate — a friend
  7. rule — a law
  8. wound — an injury
  9. band — a ring
  10. bound — certain
  11. fine — high quality
  12. drill — the tool
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. rule — government
  16. drill — army training
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. drill — a practice
  19. mate — a partner
  20. band — a music group
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mate — to breed
  24. cabinet — ministers

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