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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lie — to recline
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bound — certain
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. rash — a series
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. toast — bread
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bulb — for light
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bound — obliged
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. coach — a trainer

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