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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. chest — a box
  3. mug — a face
  4. bound — obliged
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bound — tied together
  7. mug — a cup
  8. key — in music
  9. bound — certain
  10. mug — to rob
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. key — the most important part
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. prune — to trim
  17. key — for a lock
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — hurry
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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