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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. spell — magic
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bound — certain
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bound — tied together
  17. dip — to sink
  18. court — of a king
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. court — for sport
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — a short time
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. court — of law

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