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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 · lie · mine · ball · bore · face · bound · race

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — the arms race
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to tire
  8. face — to confront
  9. bore — to drill
  10. lie — to recline
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. bound — tied together
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bound — obliged
  15. race — a contest
  16. ball — a great time
  17. face — to point toward
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — government
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mine — for digging
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. face — part of the head
  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