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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. root — of a word
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. net — in sport
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. net — after costs
  10. bound — certain
  11. game — wild animals
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. mate — a friend
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. root — the cause
  16. game — a match
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. mate — a partner
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mate — to breed
  22. net — for catching
  23. saw — the tool
  24. root — of a plant

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