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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: cold · club · lie · bound · mark · mug · bore · lean

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cold — an illness
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bore — to tire
  9. lean — to bend
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. lean — thin
  12. bound — certain
  13. mark — a grade
  14. club — for dancing
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. cold — not warm
  17. mug — a face
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bore — to drill
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — a group
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bound — obliged
  24. lean — to rest against

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