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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. bound — obliged
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. current — happening now
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. swing — music
  8. current — electric
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. hand — help
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — to play on
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bound — tied together
  18. shower — rain
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. current — of water
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. hand — in cards
  23. kick — in football
  24. rush — a thrill

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