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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. lie — to recline
  3. band — a ring
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. band — a music group
  6. capital — money
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. present — a gift
  12. march — the month
  13. bulb — for light
  14. capital — a city
  15. bound — obliged
  16. march — the month
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. present — there
  19. bulb — for light
  20. present — the time now
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bound — tied together
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. march — music

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