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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bound — obliged
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. march — music
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. lean — to bend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. lean — thin
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — in football
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bound — certain
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. mate — to breed
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rush — hurry
  24. kick — with a leg

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