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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 120 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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. kick — in football
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bound — tied together
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — thin
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. bound — certain
  15. bear — the animal
  16. can — to be able to
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. cold — not warm
  22. cold — an illness
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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