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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bound — certain
  3. lie — to recline
  4. row — a line
  5. dip — to sink
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. key — for a lock
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. lean — thin
  10. bound — tied together
  11. game — wild animals
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. game — a match
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bound — obliged
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. key — in music
  20. lean — to bend
  21. key — the most important part
  22. row — to paddle
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. dip — to dunk

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