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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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. bear — to put up with
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. mug — a face
  6. bound — certain
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — to rob
  9. band — a ring
  10. band — a music group
  11. bear — the animal
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. kick — in football
  14. spring — of water
  15. bear — the animal
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bound — tied together
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. spring — a coil

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