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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. spring — of water
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. spring — the season
  8. last — final
  9. bound — certain
  10. spring — a coil
  11. scale — size or range
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. last — to go on
  15. bulb — for light
  16. last — finally
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bound — obliged
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. scale — in music
  24. bulb — for light

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