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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. lie — to recline
  3. track — a song
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — tied together
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bound — obliged
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. track — a path
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mug — a face
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — on a roll

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