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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — for digging
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. capital — a city
  11. bound — certain
  12. lie — to recline
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. scale — size or range
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — thin
  19. scale — in music
  20. capital — money
  21. rush — hurry
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bound — obliged

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