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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. firm — decided
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. file — a document
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. degree — from a university
  9. hand — in cards
  10. degree — an amount
  11. firm — steady
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. hand — help
  14. firm — a company
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bound — certain
  17. face — to point toward
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a tool
  23. degree — temperature
  24. bound — obliged

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