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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. rest — what's left
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bound — tied together
  7. pit — a hole
  8. ball — a dance
  9. spell — letters
  10. rest — a break
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. spell — a short time
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. pit — in a race
  15. rest — what's left
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. spell — magic
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bark — to shout
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — certain

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