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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 116 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. spring — a coil
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. lie — to recline
  10. spring — of water
  11. bear — the animal
  12. spring — the season
  13. bound — certain
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. firm — decided
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. firm — a company
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bound — tied together
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. firm — steady

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