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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bound — obliged
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bound — certain
  6. wind — moving air
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. game — a match
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pit — in a race
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bound — tied together
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. lie — to recline
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. wind — moving air
  22. deal — to handle
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. deal — an agreement

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