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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 116 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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. degree — an amount
  3. rock — a stone
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. lie — to recline
  7. rock — music
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bound — certain
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mug — a face
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pit — a hole
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. degree — from a university
  19. bound — obliged
  20. mug — a cup
  21. degree — temperature
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mark — a grade
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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