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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bound — tied together
  8. lean — thin
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. current — electric
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bound — obliged
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. current — happening now
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. lean — to bend
  22. current — of water
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bound — certain

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