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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cap — of ice
  5. root — of a word
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — the amount
  8. tear — from crying
  9. fine — all right
  10. bound — obliged
  11. cap — a lid
  12. lie — to recline
  13. tear — to rip
  14. press — newspapers
  15. tear — from crying
  16. root — of a plant
  17. content — happy
  18. root — the cause
  19. press — to push
  20. fine — high quality
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bound — certain
  24. press — a publisher

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