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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bound — tied together
  5. fall — the season
  6. hand — in cards
  7. fall — to drop
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. game — wild animals
  12. lean — thin
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bound — certain
  15. chip — to eat
  16. fall — to drop
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bound — obliged
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. game — a match
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. hand — help
  24. lie — to recline

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