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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bound — certain
  4. ground — the earth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. game — wild animals
  9. charge — a price
  10. ground — a position
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. charge — electricity
  14. spring — of water
  15. ground — crushed
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. charge — in control
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. game — a match
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. spring — the season

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