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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bound — obliged
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rock — music
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — tied together
  11. rock — a stone
  12. deal — to handle
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. rush — hurry
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. game — a match
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. lie — to recline

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