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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 120 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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. face — part of the head
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. ground — a position
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bound — obliged
  8. ground — the earth
  9. dip — to sink
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — to confront
  12. track — a path
  13. band — a music group
  14. court — of law
  15. lie — to recline
  16. court — of a king
  17. bound — certain
  18. ground — crushed
  19. court — for sport
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a song
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. band — a ring

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