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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. rest — what's left
  11. lie — to recline
  12. scale — in music
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — obliged
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rest — a break
  17. mark — a grade
  18. rest — what's left
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mark — a trace
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. nail — for a hammer

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