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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. rule — government
  7. wind — moving air
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — to crush
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bound — obliged
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. lie — to recline
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bound — tied together
  22. rule — a law
  23. sharp — clever
  24. lie — an untruth

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