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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 · pop · rule · lie · wave · stick · bowl · fine

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. pop — soda
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bound — obliged
  6. rule — a law
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. fine — all right
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — certain
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — government
  16. pop — music
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — high quality
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. pop — to visit

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