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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. board — a committee
  9. content — happy
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bound — tied together
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. lie — to recline
  15. fall — the season
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bound — certain
  22. fall — to drop
  23. content — the amount
  24. board — to get on

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