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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 116 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rock — a stone
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. clip — a video
  9. rock — music
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. clip — for paper
  12. bound — obliged
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bound — tied together
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bound — certain
  18. stand — to bear
  19. clip — to cut
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. row — to paddle

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