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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — certain
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. court — of law
  11. bound — tied together
  12. last — finally
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. last — to go on
  15. suit — in cards
  16. wound — an injury
  17. suit — clothes
  18. court — of a king
  19. rule — a law
  20. dip — to sink
  21. last — final
  22. court — for sport
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. suit — to fit

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