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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. net — after costs
  3. bound — obliged
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. net — for catching
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. spell — a short time
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bound — tied together
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — music
  17. lie — to recline
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. spell — magic
  20. net — in sport
  21. bulb — for light
  22. spell — letters
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. nail — on a finger

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