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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bound — tied together
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. snap — to click
  6. bound — obliged
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. staff — a stick
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. lie — to recline
  15. staff — employees
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bound — certain
  18. wind — moving air
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. staff — employees
  22. pitch — completely
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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