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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. rock — a stone
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. charge — a price
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rock — music
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bound — certain
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bound — obliged
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bound — tied together
  18. rash — a series

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