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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 124 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  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. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. bound — certain
  6. lie — to recline
  7. squash — to crush
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bound — tied together
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wound — an injury
  14. chip — to eat
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — a partner
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. squash — the sport
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. chip — for betting
  22. mate — to breed
  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