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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. club — a group
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wound — an injury
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — for dancing
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wound — an injury
  11. last — final
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bound — certain
  14. lie — to recline
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bear — the animal
  17. last — to go on
  18. saw — the tool
  19. last — finally
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bound — obliged
  24. pound — a weight

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