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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bound — obliged
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. snap — to click
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. lie — to recline
  11. firm — a company
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. hand — in cards
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. rash — a series
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. hand — help
  18. firm — decided
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. rash — hasty
  23. firm — steady
  24. bound — certain

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