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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: season · rule · lie · board · file · cabinet · bound · chair

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. file — a document
  5. rule — government
  6. file — a line of people
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. bound — obliged
  9. file — a tool
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bound — tied together
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. board — a committee
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. rule — a law
  16. board — to get on
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. season — in sport
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bound — certain
  24. chair — a leader

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