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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. row — to paddle
  3. content — happy
  4. lie — to recline
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. face — to confront
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. content — the amount
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wind — moving air
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — certain
  20. face — to point toward
  21. row — a line
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. wind — moving air

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