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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — a stick
  3. lie — to recline
  4. mug — to rob
  5. last — to go on
  6. bound — certain
  7. last — finally
  8. last — final
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bass — low music
  11. bound — tied together
  12. staff — employees
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. mug — a cup
  17. tear — from crying
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bass — the fish
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mug — a face
  22. tear — to rip
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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