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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 116 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 must've been a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bound — certain
  4. scale — in music
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bound — tied together
  7. suit — in cards
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. pop — soda
  10. rule — government
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bound — obliged
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. suit — to fit
  17. rule — a law
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — music
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. wound — an injury
  24. scale — size or range

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