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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 had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — hurry
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. bound — tied together
  6. suit — in cards
  7. club — a group
  8. file — a line of people
  9. drill — the tool
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. suit — clothes
  12. file — a tool
  13. drill — army training
  14. file — a document
  15. wind — moving air
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. club — for golf
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bound — certain
  21. suit — to fit
  22. bound — obliged
  23. pound — a weight
  24. club — for dancing

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