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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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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. game — wild animals
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. lie — to recline
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bound — tied together
  9. drill — the tool
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. branch — a division
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — happy
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — army training
  18. wake — a trail
  19. board — a committee
  20. game — a match
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. board — to get on
  24. bound — obliged

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