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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: bound · ruler · hide · temple · mate · land · lie · rule

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. rule — a law
  3. bound — certain
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. land — a country
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bound — tied together
  12. mate — a partner
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. land — to come down
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mate — to breed
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mate — a friend
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bound — obliged
  22. lie — to recline
  23. rule — government
  24. land — ground

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