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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bound — tied together
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. mine — for digging
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. lie — to recline
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. spell — letters
  12. rash — a series
  13. bound — certain
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a plant
  16. spell — magic
  17. bound — obliged
  18. pit — in a race
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. rash — hasty
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. spell — a short time
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. root — of a word

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