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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. last — to go on
  3. bound — tied together
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. spell — magic
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bank — for money
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lie — to recline
  10. spell — letters
  11. bound — obliged
  12. last — final
  13. spell — a short time
  14. charge — electricity
  15. last — finally
  16. bound — certain
  17. charge — in control
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bank — of a river
  20. game — a match
  21. charge — a price
  22. bank — for money
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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