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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. spring — the season
  3. spring — of water
  4. pound — a weight
  5. bound — certain
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. spring — a coil
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. rule — government
  14. swing — music
  15. rule — a law
  16. branch — a division
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — to play on
  19. ball — a great time
  20. kick — in football
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. ball — a dance
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bound — tied together

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