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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. club — a group
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. club — for golf
  9. cell — in biology
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bound — tied together
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. cell — a phone
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. wound — an injury
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — the underground
  19. pop — music
  20. bound — certain
  21. club — for dancing
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — soda
  24. wound — an injury

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