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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. content — the amount
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. march — the month
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. rest — a break
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. march — music
  10. rest — what's left
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. lean — to bend
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — obliged
  22. content — happy
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. march — the month

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