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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 116 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bound — certain
  3. pound — a weight
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. wind — moving air
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mug — a cup
  8. key — the most important part
  9. mug — to rob
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. key — in music
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. wind — moving air
  15. degree — temperature
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bound — tied together
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. mug — a face
  20. key — for a lock
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — from a university
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bound — obliged

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