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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: saw · kick · bear · rule · bound · lie · mouse · racket

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rule — a law
  6. bound — obliged
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bear — the animal
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rule — government
  13. kick — in football
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — tied together
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bear — the animal

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