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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: rock · bound · rule · pass · chest · staff · lie · prune

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. chest — of your body
  3. prune — to trim
  4. lie — to recline
  5. staff — employees
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rule — a law
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. pass — a permit
  14. rule — government
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bound — obliged
  17. chest — a box
  18. bound — tied together
  19. staff — employees
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. chest — of your body

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