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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 124 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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. suit — clothes
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bass — low music
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. roll — a list
  9. bound — certain
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — the fish
  12. clip — for paper
  13. bound — tied together
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — to crush
  17. clip — to cut
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. suit — to fit
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. roll — a cake
  23. clip — a video
  24. suit — in cards

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