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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. sharp — clever
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. rock — a stone
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. suit — to fit
  7. wind — moving air
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — music
  13. mark — a trace
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bound — certain
  17. suit — clothes
  18. mark — a grade
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bound — tied together
  21. suit — in cards
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. wind — moving air

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