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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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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: tube · net · bound · rule · lie · tear · suit · file

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. tube — the underground
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rule — a law
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bound — tied together
  7. file — a document
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — certain
  11. lie — to recline
  12. tube — a container
  13. suit — in cards
  14. rule — government
  15. file — a tool
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. net — after costs
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — to rip
  21. file — a line of people
  22. suit — to fit
  23. net — for catching
  24. tear — from crying

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