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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bound — certain
  5. face — part of the head
  6. track — a path
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. track — a song
  10. face — to confront
  11. lie — to recline
  12. face — to point toward
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bound — obliged
  17. track — to keep track
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mug — a face
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bound — tied together
  22. roll — a list
  23. roll — a cake
  24. roll — on a roll

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