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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. game — a match
  8. perch — the fish
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bound — obliged
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. chip — for betting
  14. field — for sport
  15. saw — the tool
  16. lie — to recline
  17. field — a subject
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. game — wild animals
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. saw — the tool
  23. field — farmland
  24. bound — tied together

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