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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. squash — to crush
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. chest — a box
  5. squash — the sport
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. bound — tied together
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bound — certain
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. lie — to recline
  19. board — a committee
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. board — to get on
  24. arm — a part of something

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