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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. lie — to recline
  3. rash — a series
  4. clip — to cut
  5. rash — hasty
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. race — a contest
  8. clip — a video
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. chair — a leader
  12. clip — for paper
  13. race — humankind
  14. can — a tin
  15. bound — obliged
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bound — tied together
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. race — the arms race
  21. can — a tin
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. lie — an untruth

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