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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 120 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wound — an injury
  6. lie — to recline
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. hand — in cards
  9. race — humankind
  10. wound — an injury
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bound — certain
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. board — a committee
  15. race — the arms race
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. race — a contest
  18. bound — tied together
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to click
  22. hand — help
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. board — to get on

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