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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 120 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — to breed
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mark — a trace
  8. season — in sport
  9. mate — a friend
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bound — tied together
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. cell — in biology
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. lie — to recline
  17. season — of the year
  18. hand — in cards
  19. cell — a phone
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. hand — help
  22. bound — obliged
  23. hand — part of the body
  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