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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: cold · bay · lie · spring · ground · bound · track · fine

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. ground — crushed
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. spring — the season
  8. ground — a position
  9. spring — of water
  10. track — a path
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. track — to keep track
  13. cold — an illness
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. spring — a coil
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. lie — to recline
  20. track — a song
  21. bound — tied together
  22. fine — all right
  23. cold — not warm
  24. bound — obliged

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