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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bound — certain
  4. shower — rain
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — to protest
  7. spell — a short time
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. kick — in football
  11. bound — tied together
  12. ball — a dance
  13. shower — to wash
  14. ball — a great time
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — letters
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. object — a thing
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. prune — the fruit
  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