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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — soda
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. lie — to recline
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bound — certain
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bound — obliged
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. clip — for paper
  12. roll — a list
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. bound — tied together
  20. clip — to cut
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. clip — a video

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