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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: rule · key · mouse · bound · patient · kick · wave · lie

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. bound — obliged
  3. key — in music
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — certain
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. key — for a lock
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. lie — to recline
  16. rule — a law
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  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