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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bound — certain
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. bound — tied together
  6. branch — a division
  7. spring — of water
  8. toast — bread
  9. spring — the season
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bound — obliged
  13. cap — a lid
  14. spring — a coil
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. cap — of ice
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. rock — a stone
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. dip — to sink
  22. rock — music
  23. cap — a hat
  24. lie — to recline

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