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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. tear — to rip
  4. pit — a hole
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bank — for money
  9. pit — in a race
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. lie — to recline
  13. track — a song
  14. bank — of a river
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bank — for money
  18. track — a path
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — certain
  21. track — to keep track
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. lie — an untruth

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