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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. fork — in a road
  3. row — a line
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bound — certain
  6. spring — the season
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. row — to paddle
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bound — tied together
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fine — all right
  20. rash — a series
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. lie — to recline
  23. rash — hasty
  24. spring — of water

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