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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. lie — to recline
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bound — obliged
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bound — certain
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. squash — to crush
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. ball — a dance
  19. plane — a tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bound — tied together
  24. squash — the vegetable

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