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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 116 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: mine · lean · wake · net · rule · wave · bound · safe

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. rule — a law
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. net — for catching
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bound — tied together
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. wake — a trail
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. rule — government
  17. lean — thin
  18. net — in sport
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. net — after costs
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. lean — to bend
  24. bound — certain

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