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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. board — a committee
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bound — obliged
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bound — tied together
  11. tear — from crying
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. board — to get on
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. stock — goods
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bound — certain
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. sharp — clever

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