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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. track — a song
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — obliged
  5. dip — to sink
  6. track — a path
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. hand — in cards
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. wind — moving air
  12. track — to keep track
  13. hand — help
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. sharp — clever
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bound — certain
  19. wind — moving air
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. lie — to recline
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. sharp — exactly

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