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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bound — obliged
  5. last — to go on
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — a grade
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. last — finally
  11. bear — the animal
  12. net — in sport
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. deal — to handle
  21. last — final
  22. bound — certain
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — after costs

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