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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. sharp — clever
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — the season
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bound — tied together
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. march — music
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. saw — the tool
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bound — obliged
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. saw — the tool
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bound — certain

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