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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. mine — for digging
  3. board — a committee
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bound — certain
  8. board — to get on
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bound — obliged
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. content — happy
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. squash — to crush
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. squash — the sport
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bound — tied together
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. content — the amount
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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