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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
468
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: kid · bark · bound · present · pitcher · lie · row · roll

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. row — a line
  6. present — the time now
  7. bound — tied together
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. present — there
  10. bark — to shout
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. present — a gift
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. roll — a cake
  16. kid — to tease
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bound — obliged
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bound — certain
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. kid — child
  24. roll — a list

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