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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bound — tied together
  3. mug — to rob
  4. tear — from crying
  5. mug — a face
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bound — obliged
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bound — certain
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — to protest
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. stand — to bear
  16. object — an aim
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. fork — in a road
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. tear — to rip
  21. squash — the sport
  22. tear — from crying
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. lie — to recline

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