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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 · kid · game · mouse · bore · stick · clip · lie

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. game — wild animals
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. lie — to recline
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bound — tied together
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bore — to drill
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. clip — a video
  17. kid — child
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bore — to tire
  21. clip — for paper
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bound — certain
  24. game — a kind of play

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