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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. key — in music
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. hand — in cards
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. hand — help
  8. mine — for digging
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. fork — in a road
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. key — for a lock
  17. lie — to recline
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bound — tied together
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bound — certain
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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