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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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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: tear · bound · lie · toast · rash · stem · bay · kick

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bound — obliged
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. rash — a series
  6. bound — certain
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. rash — hasty
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. tear — from crying
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — in football
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stem — to come from
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. toast — bread

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