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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 120 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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  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. staff — a stick
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — obliged
  8. lie — to recline
  9. foot — a measure
  10. squash — the sport
  11. staff — employees
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. staff — employees
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a lid
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. squash — to crush
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. squash — the vegetable
  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