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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. roll — a cake
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. drill — the tool
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of a king
  7. drill — army training
  8. bound — tied together
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. cell — in biology
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. roll — a list
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bound — certain
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. court — of law
  24. cell — a phone

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