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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 sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. last — finally
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — moving air
  6. last — to go on
  7. net — in sport
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bound — obliged
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. capital — a city
  13. last — final
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. net — after costs
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bound — certain
  20. net — for catching
  21. lie — to recline
  22. capital — money
  23. bear — the animal
  24. lie — an untruth

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