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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. land — to come down
  3. lie — to recline
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. clip — to cut
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bound — obliged
  11. clip — a video
  12. bound — certain
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. bound — tied together
  15. rush — hurry
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. land — a country
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. land — ground
  24. toast — bread

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