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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — certain
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bound — obliged
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. ground — a position
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. ground — the earth
  10. tear — from crying
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. ground — crushed
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. chair — a leader
  18. content — happy
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pitch — completely
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. content — the amount
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. ruler — for measuring

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