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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bound — obliged
  3. rush — hurry
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. fall — the season
  10. track — a path
  11. row — to paddle
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. track — a song
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. pitch — completely
  17. row — a line
  18. track — to keep track
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. temple — a place of worship

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