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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: game · bound · snap · ground · lie · present · suit · fine

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. game — a match
  3. fine — all right
  4. bound — obliged
  5. snap — to click
  6. suit — in cards
  7. ground — a position
  8. present — the time now
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bound — certain
  11. ground — crushed
  12. present — there
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. game — wild animals
  16. lie — to recline
  17. ground — the earth
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bound — tied together
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. fine — high quality
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — clothes

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