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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. kid — to tease
  3. bound — obliged
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. kid — child
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. lie — to recline
  12. perch — the fish
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mug — a face
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. race — humankind
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. race — the arms race
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bound — tied together
  21. mug — a cup
  22. race — a contest
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. cabinet — ministers

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