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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bound — certain
  4. tube — a container
  5. bound — tied together
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bound — obliged
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. game — wild animals
  15. fine — all right
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. can — a tin
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. can — to be able to
  20. game — a match
  21. date — the fruit
  22. fine — high quality
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. can — a tin

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