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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bound — certain
  5. snap — to click
  6. bass — low music
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. tear — to rip
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a signal
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. cue — a hint
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. tear — from crying
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bass — the instrument

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