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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. hand — in cards
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. hand — help
  8. mine — for digging
  9. press — to push
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — in sport
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bound — certain
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. lie — to recline
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. craft — boats
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bound — tied together
  22. press — a publisher
  23. craft — a skill
  24. snap — to click

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