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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. club — for dancing
  5. squash — the sport
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bound — certain
  8. mark — a trace
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bound — tied together
  11. mark — a grade
  12. wound — an injury
  13. vault — a safe
  14. squash — to crush
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. rest — what's left
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — a group
  19. kick — in football
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. rest — a break
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bound — obliged
  24. squash — the vegetable

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