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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. track — a song
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bound — certain
  11. track — to keep track
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. mark — a trace
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. track — a path
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. ball — a great time
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bound — tied together
  22. pound — a weight
  23. bulb — for light
  24. ball — a round shape

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