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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 are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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. firm — a company
  4. lie — to recline
  5. degree — temperature
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. can — a tin
  8. squash — the sport
  9. degree — from a university
  10. board — to get on
  11. can — a tin
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. bound — tied together
  15. firm — decided
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. can — to be able to
  21. board — a committee
  22. firm — steady
  23. bound — certain
  24. degree — an amount

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