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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. net — in sport
  4. bound — tied together
  5. last — finally
  6. last — final
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bound — certain
  9. net — for catching
  10. hand — in cards
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. net — after costs
  14. lie — to recline
  15. suit — to fit
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — to breed
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bound — obliged
  22. suit — in cards
  23. suit — clothes
  24. last — to go on

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