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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: bound · march · spell · ball · lie · kick · lean · nail

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. lean — thin
  5. spell — a short time
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. lean — to bend
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. spell — letters
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. ball — a great time
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. march — music
  19. bound — obliged
  20. spell — magic
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bound — certain

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