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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bound — obliged
  3. land — to come down
  4. ground — the earth
  5. key — in music
  6. bound — tied together
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. lie — to recline
  10. rash — hasty
  11. land — ground
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. chip — for betting
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. ground — crushed
  16. rash — a series
  17. wake — a trail
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — the most important part
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. land — a country
  22. ground — a position
  23. bound — certain
  24. rash — on the skin

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