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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 120 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 · hand · bulb · lie · hide · fork · rule · mug

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mug — a face
  6. lie — to recline
  7. rule — government
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bound — tied together
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bulb — for light
  15. hand — help
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bound — obliged
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bound — certain
  21. rule — a law
  22. mug — a cup
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. lie — an untruth

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