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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — tied together
  4. degree — from a university
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. lie — to recline
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. squash — to crush
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. club — for dancing
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wind — moving air
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bound — obliged
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — temperature
  20. squash — the sport
  21. wind — moving air
  22. club — a group
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. club — for golf

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