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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bound — obliged
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — in sport
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bound — certain
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. mark — a grade
  18. lie — to recline
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. season — of the year
  21. bound — tied together
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. mine — belonging to me

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