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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bound — obliged
  4. march — the month
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. current — happening now
  7. bound — certain
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bound — tied together
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. lie — to recline
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. march — the month
  15. file — a line of people
  16. row — a line
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. file — a document
  19. file — a tool
  20. current — electric
  21. march — music
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. current — of water

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