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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: object · bore · face · kick · stock · leaves · bound · lie

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. lie — to recline
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. face — to confront
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. kick — in football
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bound — certain
  10. face — to point toward
  11. object — an aim
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — goods
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bound — tied together
  16. object — to protest
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. stock — shares
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bound — obliged
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. object — a thing
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bore — to drill

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