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

Word bank: bound · lie · cap · race · saw · jam · last · bore

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bound — certain
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bore — to drill
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bore — to tire
  8. last — finally
  9. bound — tied together
  10. race — the arms race
  11. race — humankind
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. last — to go on
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. race — a contest
  19. cap — a lid
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bound — obliged
  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