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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: lie · stick · clip · bound · rush · wound · can · fine

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bound — certain
  3. fine — all right
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. can — a tin
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bound — obliged
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. can — a tin
  15. clip — to cut
  16. can — to be able to
  17. clip — for paper
  18. rush — hurry
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fine — high quality
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bound — tied together
  24. clip — a video

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