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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're almost out of ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. row — to paddle
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bound — obliged
  6. last — to go on
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — tied together
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. chair — a leader
  13. last — finally
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. last — final
  16. pop — music
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. fine — all right
  21. lie — to recline
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. fine — high quality
  24. row — a line

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