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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: mouse · court · hide · bound · temple · spring · hand · rule

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. court — for sport
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rule — government
  6. spring — a coil
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. rule — a law
  9. bound — obliged
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. court — of a king
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bound — certain
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. court — of law
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. spring — of water
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bound — tied together
  23. spring — the season
  24. rule — to rule out

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