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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 are we going to ________________?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bound — tied together
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. last — to go on
  6. squash — to crush
  7. mine — for digging
  8. last — finally
  9. fine — high quality
  10. land — ground
  11. squash — the sport
  12. firm — decided
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. firm — a company
  16. fine — all right
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. firm — steady
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — obliged
  23. land — a country
  24. last — final

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