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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: stand · rule · present · lie · sharp · bound · mug · roll

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bound — certain
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bound — obliged
  6. present — the time now
  7. mug — to rob
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. roll — a list
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. rule — government
  12. lie — to recline
  13. mug — a cup
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bound — tied together
  17. present — a gift
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. mug — a face
  20. present — there
  21. sharp — clever
  22. stand — to bear
  23. rule — a law
  24. roll — a cake

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