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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · scale · rock · lie · date · mine · season · saw

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. date — the fruit
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. lie — to recline
  8. season — of the year
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. scale — size or range
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bound — tied together
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mine — for digging
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bound — certain
  19. rock — a stone
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. season — in sport
  24. rock — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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