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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bound — tied together
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bound — certain
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bound — obliged
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. cap — a lid
  20. pound — a weight
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. cap — a hat

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