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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 120 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. track — a song
  4. bound — obliged
  5. rash — a series
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. root — of a plant
  11. wound — an injury
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. clip — a video
  14. bound — tied together
  15. clip — for paper
  16. track — a path
  17. root — the cause
  18. clip — to cut
  19. lie — to recline
  20. track — to keep track
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bound — certain
  24. root — of a word

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