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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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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 · mouse · wind · leaves · tear · suit · vault · bound

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. rule — government
  3. wind — moving air
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. tear — from crying
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — certain
  9. tear — to rip
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. tear — from crying
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bound — obliged
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. rule — a law
  18. suit — in cards
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. suit — clothes
  23. vault — a safe
  24. mouse — the animal

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