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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — obliged
  3. cold — not warm
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. chip — for betting
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. cold — an illness
  18. bound — certain
  19. saw — the tool
  20. lie — to recline
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. saw — the tool
  24. chip — to eat

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