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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bound — certain
  4. last — final
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. tube — the underground
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. rash — hasty
  9. tube — a container
  10. last — to go on
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. last — finally
  14. snap — to click
  15. bound — tied together
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. lie — to recline
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bound — obliged
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. can — a tin
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. tube — in a tire

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