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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — certain
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wind — moving air
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. court — for sport
  8. rest — what's left
  9. fall — to drop
  10. squash — to crush
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — of law
  13. lie — to recline
  14. fall — the season
  15. rest — what's left
  16. spell — magic
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rest — a break
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. spell — letters
  21. bound — tied together
  22. fall — to drop
  23. spell — a short time
  24. squash — the sport

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