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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — certain
  3. mate — a partner
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — to tire
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. ground — crushed
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. lie — to recline
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. ground — a position
  18. mate — a friend
  19. pass — a permit
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bound — tied together
  22. mate — to breed
  23. ground — the earth
  24. pass — to spend time

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