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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. net — in sport
  3. squash — to crush
  4. swing — music
  5. squash — the sport
  6. kid — to tease
  7. net — after costs
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bound — obliged
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. kid — child
  12. swing — in golf
  13. track — a path
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a trace
  17. track — to keep track
  18. mark — a grade
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. track — a song
  21. net — for catching
  22. bound — certain
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bound — tied together

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