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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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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. pop — music
  4. rush — hurry
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. pop — soda
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bound — obliged
  14. pop — to visit
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wake — a trail
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. squash — to crush
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bound — certain

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