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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. bound — obliged
  3. firm — steady
  4. rock — music
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. content — happy
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rock — a stone
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bound — certain
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lie — to recline
  16. content — the amount
  17. bound — tied together
  18. firm — decided
  19. tear — to rip
  20. firm — a company
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. tear — from crying
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  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