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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. cold — not warm
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. present — a gift
  7. tube — the underground
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. cold — an illness
  10. bound — obliged
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. present — there
  14. tube — a container
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. present — the time now
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bound — certain
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bound — tied together
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. snap — to click
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. tube — in a tire

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