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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. wound — an injury
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. wound — an injury
  7. ground — a position
  8. bound — obliged
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. rest — what's left
  11. ground — crushed
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bore — to tire
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bound — certain
  16. bore — to drill
  17. spring — of water
  18. bound — tied together
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. rest — a break
  22. ground — the earth
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — a coil

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