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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — obliged
  3. pitch — completely
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. lie — to recline
  6. mug — a face
  7. drill — army training
  8. march — the month
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. tear — from crying
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bound — tied together
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. drill — a practice
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. march — music
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. march — the month
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a cup
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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