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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. suit — to fit
  3. lean — to bend
  4. suit — in cards
  5. band — a music group
  6. bound — certain
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bound — obliged
  11. chest — of your body
  12. suit — clothes
  13. band — a ring
  14. fine — all right
  15. chest — a box
  16. chest — of your body
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lie — to recline
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bound — tied together
  21. game — a match
  22. lean — thin
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. lie — an untruth

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