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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. clip — a video
  7. clip — to cut
  8. rest — what's left
  9. object — to protest
  10. bound — tied together
  11. rest — a break
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bound — certain
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. object — an aim
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. object — a thing
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. clip — for paper
  24. rush — hurry

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