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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mug · clip · game · coach · wind · temple · bound · rule

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — obliged
  3. game — a match
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mug — a cup
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. game — wild animals
  9. clip — to cut
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. clip — for paper
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mug — to rob
  19. rule — government
  20. mug — a face
  21. clip — a video
  22. rule — a law
  23. bound — tied together
  24. temple — a place of worship

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