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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — tied together
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. content — the amount
  6. bound — certain
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. spring — the season
  9. content — happy
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. spring — a coil
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. vault — a safe
  20. spring — of water
  21. lie — to recline
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. deal — to handle

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