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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. wound — an injury
  5. field — a subject
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. field — farmland
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. rest — what's left
  11. field — for sport
  12. rest — what's left
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bat — the animal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bound — certain
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. safe — out of danger

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