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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: land · lie · straw · bore · race · bound

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bore — to tire
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. bound — certain
  7. land — ground
  8. race — a contest
  9. race — humankind
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bore — to drill
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. race — the arms race
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. land — a country

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