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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: game · lie · pitcher · wave · bound · rash · mark · present

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bound — obliged
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. lie — to recline
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. present — the time now
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — certain
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. game — a match
  17. mark — a trace
  18. rash — a series
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. game — wild animals
  21. rash — hasty
  22. present — there
  23. present — a gift
  24. rash — on the skin

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