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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: fine · bore · firm · rash · board · field · lie · bound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. firm — decided
  3. bound — tied together
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — steady
  6. bound — certain
  7. bore — to drill
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. board — a committee
  11. fine — all right
  12. bore — to tire
  13. field — farmland
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. rash — a series
  16. lie — to recline
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. field — for sport
  20. board — to get on
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. field — a subject

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