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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. bound — tied together
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. face — to point toward
  6. kid — to tease
  7. bound — obliged
  8. lie — to recline
  9. club — a group
  10. face — to confront
  11. swing — music
  12. bound — certain
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. rule — a law
  15. kid — child
  16. club — for golf
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rule — government
  19. swing — in golf
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. swing — to play on
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. club — for dancing
  24. face — part of the head

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