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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 116 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 · row · game · band · march · bound · cabinet · firm

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. lie — to recline
  3. march — music
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bound — obliged
  7. firm — a company
  8. march — the month
  9. firm — steady
  10. bound — tied together
  11. row — a line
  12. band — a music group
  13. game — a match
  14. firm — decided
  15. march — the month
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. game — wild animals
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. band — a ring
  21. bound — certain
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. game — a kind of play

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