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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: bound · deal · lie · band · tear · last · fine · mark

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. last — final
  5. bound — tied together
  6. tear — to rip
  7. fine — all right
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a music group
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. fine — high quality
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. last — finally
  14. mark — a trace
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bound — obliged
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — from crying
  20. mark — a grade
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bound — certain
  23. lie — to recline
  24. last — to go on

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