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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 · pit · bound · wind · fine · lie · nail · mate

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bound — obliged
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bound — certain
  6. mate — to breed
  7. wind — moving air
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — all right
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. land — ground
  12. land — to come down
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lie — to recline
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. wind — moving air
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. land — a country
  21. mate — a friend
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a hole

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